Nine Months of Waiting
by schrijver
Summary: Mrs. Lovett finds out she is expecting a child.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I had this idea a few days ago and decided to write. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

"I think I'm pregnant."

His immobility worried her even more. He didn't express any emotion; he was standing there, looking at her. This was common, I mean, he was always an expressionless person, but she thought the news she had to tell him would result in screams, insults, and even blood. But he did nothing, it was as if he hadn't heard her, or maybe his mind was suing the "news".

Suddenly, he asked:

"Did you talk to a doctor?"

Wow, for who had always been rude to her - except that night they spent together - he was very calm.

In response to his question, Eleanor shook her head slightly.

"No..." She whispered. "But I can go if you want to...".

He bit his lip and nodded slightly. Then he approached her at a slow pace, stopping right in front her. The baker felt her cheeks blushing; images of the night they spent together come to her mind...

The barber just stared at her. He knew how much she wanted to have children and now she was pregnant...

That's when he realized that he was going to be a father. He remembered when Lucy said she was pregnant. Benjamin Barker was very happy, they started buying things, they bought clothes, gifts, toys, and of course, the crib. When Johanna born, he was surprised by the love he felt for his little girl. However, the situation was totally different now. Benjamin Barker was dead - along with the Judge and Beadle Bamford -, the mother of his child was not his wife, she was his landlady, and one more thing: their baby was an accident.

He felt her tremble when he took one of her hands and then she looked at him, fear was evident in her eyes.

"Go to a doctor." He said. "Then come back here and tell me what he told you."

She thought to question his words, but she chose not to say anything. She just nodded and left.

The barber just watched walk away her in silence. Then he walked to the window and sighed heavily.

He didn't remember that night very clearly. It was a month ago. He had drunk a little too much and he wasn't answering for his actions. Eleanor found him and he just grabbed her and kissed her, trying desperately to rip her clothes. She kissed him back and after that, everything was pure passion and lust. He kissed, caressed and tasted her body, not caring about anything else. The next morning, he woke up beside her in her bed, both completely naked...

_He opened his eyes. He sat up quickly, his head was hurting. He shouldn't have drunk so much._

_She was in front of him, trying to cover her naked body with a white blanket. Her red hair was loose, and she had small bruises on her arms and neck. He frowned looked at himself. He was also naked, just a white blanket covering his body up to the waist. He looked at his arms, seeing scratch marks on his arms._

_His eyes widened._

_Oh, no..._

_"What happened?" He asked in a low voice._

_He saw how she was nervous, her cheeks were very red._

_"Say it!" He growled._

_She jumped and then a tear fell down her cheek. The barber sighed. He didn't want to scare her, but, well, she didn't have to answer to his question. It was obvious what had happened in that bed._

_"This could not have happened..." He put his hands on his head._

_Eleanor looked away and wiped a tear from her cheek. He could hurt her without even realizing it._

_"I'm sorry." She said._

_He looked at her. Her head was down, and she seemed very embarrassed... But she wasn't drunk last night, so..._

_"You knew I was drunk." He said. "Why did not you stop me?"_

_Eleanor blushed even more and pressed the blanket against her body, not knowing exactly what to do._

_"You're stronger than me."_

_He shook his head._

_"But you could have pushed me, kicked me, I wasn't so drunk and-..." He swallowed hard. "Did I force you?"_

_She looked at him seriously._

_"If you had forced me, like Albert did, I would not be here with you."_

_Sweeney didn't know if he was surprised by the fact that he doesn't have forced her or by knowing that her late husband forced her to have sex._

_"Why did you stay here then?" He asked._

_She closed her eyes, tears falling down her face._

_"I wanted to fulfill a dream."_

_He frowned._

_"A dream?" He asked. "You... You dreamed about it?"_

_She didn't say anything, she just stood there in front of him, tears and more tears wetting her face. The barber got out of bed - without bothering to be naked - and took her by the shoulders, making her look at him._

_"You dreamed of waking up next to me?" He asked._

_The answer she gave him was enough for him to understand her attitudes..._

_"I dreamed about it my whole life."_

Sweeney sighed. That woman loved him. She loved him so much that she didn't care to spend the night with him, even though he was drunk. She didn't mind helping him with everything he needed, she gave him food, a home, and she had helped him with his revenge, which was already a great proof of her... Love.

And it seems that the love she felt for him had created a life...

Now how to deal with it...?

* * *

It didn't take long for her to figure out what was really happening to her. "Yes, you're pregnant," said the doctor. The baker smiled, she cried and then she laughed, happy, extremely happy. But the barber's words were worrying her...

_"Go to a doctor." He said. "Then come back here and tell me what he told you."_

What would he say? He was such a man so mysterious when he wanted to be. What was he thinking? Well, whatever it was, she hoped he didn't ask - commanded - her to get rid of the baby. No, she just couldn't even think about an abortion. She waited so long to have a baby and now she was pregnant! She was expecting a child of the man she loved.

Could he be so cruel? Eleanor sighed. If he ask her this, she was going to say "No" because she could not live with the guilt of killing a child, her child. But of course, if she run away from the barber, he would probably find her and kill her and her and the baby.

However, he was so... Gentle with her, that, well, maybe he wouldn't be so angry if she tells him she's pregnant.

So she decided to tell him what was going on...

When she came into his barbershop, Eleanor saw him by the window, watching the people down there. She couldn't see his face, but she hoped he was in a good mood today.

"Mr. Todd?"

He turned and looked at her. He seemed relatively calm, his hands in his pockets and he was not wearing his vest.

She felt her cheeks blush and trying to hide her shame, she looked down.

"So... It's true?" He asked suddenly.

The baker swallowed hard.

"Yes..." She whispered. "I'm sorry."

He frowned.

"You're not sorry." She looked at him. "We both know how much you wanted to be a mother."

She sighed heavily.

"Yes, but I didn't want it to be this way. I wanted this child was the result of-..." She blushed and looked down. "Forget it."

Sweeney approached her and took one of her hands.

"The result of a night of love, you mean?"

She nodded her head slightly, sighing heavily.

"It doesn't matter anymore. It's done." She pulled away from him and walked to a table there, leaning her hands on it. "What do you want to do?"

"What do _you_ want to do, my pet?"

That question took her by surprise and she took some time to answer. When she was younger, every time she dreamed of being pregnant, she imagined buying the things for her baby, setting up a room, knitting the clothes, all this beside her husband, the man she loved... Today, however, she was a widow, a woman who became pregnant at forty and who would suffer the scorn of the people if she appeared pregnant without being married.

She have no choice...

"I'm leaving London..."

Sweeney frowned.

"What?"

The baker sighed again, not wanting to look into his eyes.

"What other people will say? A widow who becomes pregnant five years after her husband's death... Miracles can happen, but that would be too much." She bit her lip. "I don't want my child to grow up hearing bad things about me... That's why I'm leaving London. I'm going to another town, me, Toby and this baby..." She touched her belly. "I will say that my husband died recently and no one will judge me...".

The barber frowned slightly and began to think. That woman was expecting his child. She could be strong on the outside, but inside, he knew she was sad and disillusioned, a person who needed and begged for love, his love. He was alone for years, and he knew he didn't love his wife anymore because... Everything had changed in his life and in his heart.

So, after all these years, a chance for happiness was right in front of him and he would not let it go.

"If you think I'm going to let you go you're wrong."

This caused her to look at him in surprise.

Eleanor could see in his eyes how much the idea of her leaving London troubled him, he had anger in his eyes, he looked like he just hated the idea of seeing her leaving London, with his baby inside her.

"What do you suggest then?"

He approached her and took one of her hands again.

"My father once told me that a real man should bear his responsibilities, whether they may be." He approached her even more, his hot breath on her face made her blush. He was very close to her. "You are the mother of my child and I feel responsible for you."

She sighed heavily.

"Don't need to do this, Mr. Todd." She whispered. "I can take care of myself. I can very well take care of this child, as I do with Toby. "

He smiled slightly and shook his head.

"You are the mother of my child, pet." He spoke softly. "I have a duty to care for this baby and for you."

He touched her belly and was silent for a moment, many ideas going through his head right now, but just one sentence prevailed.

Then he looked into her eyes and asked:

"Will you marry me?"

For a brief moment, her entire life flashed before her eyes. Her childhood, her parents, Benjamin Barker, her marriage, the cold nights she spent alone, her husband's hand hurting her, the tears, Sweeney Todd, the pies, the bodies... And then... The Judge's death.

Only in her dreams the man in front of her would make this kind of question. And her answer would be "yes" if not for one very simple detail...

"So, pet?" He said. "Yes or no?"

She shook her head.

"You don't have to marry me." She spoke quickly. "You don't need to sacrifice your life..."

"There is no sacrifice."

And God, he knew it very well. He saw how she behaved, how she cooked, how she sang and played piano at night. And after the night they spent together, he could not remember much, but he knew how she was like in bed... She was passionate.

Thus, Sweeney knew she could be a good wife, a devoted woman, and it would not be a sacrifice to marry her. But Eleanor wasn't convinced, so he decided to remind her where she was.

"You told me that people will judge you by getting pregnant without being married." He spoke quickly. "If I marry you, people will not say anything and the baby will be safe from criticism and dirty looks."

The baker stopped and thought. She knew he was right. And, heavens, she wanted to be his wife. She always wanted that. But in these circumstances... She did not want a loveless marriage. Eleanor had been forced to marry a man she didn't love once, and she didn't want to do this to him. She didn't want to force him; she wanted him to marry her because he wanted to, for love, and not because she was expecting his child.

However, there was what other people would say... Eleanor knew that if people talk bad things about her, her Pie Shop would have no customers and without customers, how she would support Toby and baby in her belly? No, she had to be rational, not emotional. She had to think of her baby, not herself.

She wasn't selfish as Lucy, after all.

"Alright then." She whispered. "I'll marry you."

Sweeney kissed her forehead, sighing deeply. He could not help but smile when he looked at her and saw her blushing and looking away, she was completely embarrassed.

"We'll marry in a month." He spoke and she nodded.

"Okay." She sighed deeply. "I'll... Eat something. I have not eaten anything all day, I felt very sick."

The barber nodded.

"If you need anything just tell me."

She nodded and turned away from him, going to the door.

"Eleanor." She stopped and looked at him, surprised by having him calling her by her first name. "Since we're getting married soon, you better get used to calling me Sweeney."

She blushed a bit, but then she agreed.

"Okay." She said. "See you later... Sweeney."


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing she felt was nausea. It was something very strong, and Eleanor used to vomit almost every morning. She hated it, she knew it was because of her pregnancy, but it was a downer anyway.

Toby had asked her about what's going on, the boy feared for her health. Eleanor knew it would be too much information for him, however, her belly would start to grow and then she would tell him what was happening.

She waited a Saturday afternoon - when she closed her Pie Shop early (two o'clock) - to be able to tell everything to the boy. She pulled him by the hand and sat on the sofa. She took a breath and started talking:

"Toby, what would you think if you win a little brother or sister?" She asked cautiously.

Fortunately, the boy smiled.

"I would be very happy, Mom." He said excitedly. "Why? Are you...?"

The baker smiled slightly and touched her belly.

"Yes..." She sighed. "I'm pregnant."

"Wow, Mom! That's amazing!" He exclaimed.

Eleanor smiled.

"So are you happy?"

"Yes, I am! I'll teach many things to my little brother and we will play a lot!" The boy said. "When is he coming?"

The baker smiled.

"Your little brother or sister will be here in nine months... I don't know exactly..." Eleanor said. "The baby it's here, in my belly..."

Toby frowned.

"How did the baby end up in your belly?" He asked innocently.

The baker blushed. She didn't know to explain how it happened, because, well, it wasn't a beautiful thing to say. She could not say that the barber had drunk too much and all that story...

"Well... Mr. Todd and I..."

"Mr. Todd is the father?" The boy asked.

"Yes."

The barber's voice sounded like thunder, and both the baker and the boy jumped. They looked back and saw the barber near the door, watching the scene. He seemed calm, but his expression was as serious as before.

Eleanor quickly rose from the couch, putting her hands on Toby's shoulders, who looked at her and then looked at the barber again.

"Hello, Mr. Todd..."

Sweeney shook his head.

"Sweeney, pet. My name is Sweeney."

She nodded.

"Sweeney, right, I... I was telling Toby about my pregnancy."

The barber approached them.

"You look pale." He spoke to the baker.

She smiled faintly.

"My skin is pale."

He shook his head and touched her face, stroking her cheek with his fingers. She blushed.

"You're paler than normal." He asked. "Did you eat anything?"

She shook her head.

"No, but I'm fine, don't worry."

But Sweeney didn't believe her and looked at Toby, knowing that the boy would tell him what was happening. And he was right.

"She threw up all the morning, sir." Toby said.

"Toby!" Eleanor exclaimed.

"But it's true, Mom." The boy said. "She's not eating properly, sir."

Sweeney sighed and took out some money from his pocket and handed it to the boy.

"Go to the market and buy..." He looked at the baker. "What would you like to eat?"

Eleanor sighed.

"Mr. Todd, please... You don't need to-…"

"My name is Sweeney, pet. Not so hard to know." He smiled. "Now, tell me: what would you like to eat?"

She wanted to protest, but she knew he was an extremely stubborn man and he would not leave her alone until she told him what he wanted to know. Then she said:

"I don't know... Maybe... Blueberries."

"Great." He looked at the boy. "Buy blueberries... Buy flowers, too."

Eleanor and Toby frowned.

"Flowers?" They asked in unison.

The barber smiled.

"Daisies and gillyflowers." He said. "Isn't that what you like?"

Eleanor blushed.

"Yes, but..." She sighed. "I didn't think you would remember, you know...".

In fact, even he didn't knew how he had remembered it. He just wanted to please her, and then, "Daisies and gillyflowers" came to his mind. But he remembered when she had sung about it, when the judge was still alive. He never told her, but her voice always calmed him...

"Go now, boy."

Toby nodded and went out to the market.

Sweeney waited a few minutes to approach her and touch her face again, putting a strand of red hair behind her ear. Eleanor closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"Why you didn't tell me that you weren't feeling well?" He asked.

She looked at him.

"I-..." Suddenly, she pulled away slightly and leaned on a chair, breathing deeply.

"What?"

"It's nothing..." She spoke quickly. But then, she felt a very strong vertigo, and then, she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, damn it..."

She lost her balance and just didn't fell because two strong arms held her. She looked up, seeing the barber looking at her seriously. Then she felt a hand under her legs and when she realized the barber took her in his arms, bridal style, and by consequence, their faces were very, very close.

The baker blushed.

"Gotcha." He whispered.

She was lighter than he imagined she would be. Her small hands gripped tightly the material of his black vest, and she seemed startled by his actions.

"Put your arms around my neck." He spoke softly, seeing how she was nervous. "Relax. I will not let you fall. "

"That's _not_ my problem." She stuttered.

He frowned.

"What is it then?"

She swallowed hard.

"Why do you-...?" She stopped talking, feeling another vertigo. She buried her head on his shoulder and sighed deeply. "Oh, no…"

Sweeney said nothing and took her to her room. He sat her on the bed carefully, so he could fix two pillows on the bed.

"Lie down."

Eleanor obeyed and laid her head on the pillows, closing her eyes and sighing deeply. It was what she needed, a good bed to rest. Vertigo was already ending, but her head ached a bit. Everything was quiet when she felt someone removing her shoes.

"Mr. Todd!" She exclaimed.

He ignored her and took her shoes off, putting them on the floor.

"You will not be able to sleep properly wearing shoes..." He looked at her. "And my name is Sweeney."

The baker didn't know if she should protest. This was the sweetest thing that someone had done to her. He sat beside her on the bed, a serious expression on his face. Suddenly, his hand rested on her belly and he asked:

"Are you feeling better?"

She smiled slightly.

"I think so." She rested her head on the pillow.

"You need to rest." The barber muttered. "I don't want to see you working _so_ hard..."

Eleanor frowned.

"Well, I need to work." She said. "I like to work, Mr. To-... Sweeney..."

He smiled slightly.

"You could not open the Pie Shop on the weekends..." He looked at her belly, clearly trying to avoid any eye contact with her. "We… We could go out, walk around the city..."

The baker thought that it was odd that he was not looking at her at that moment. He seemed, I don't know, he seemed a bit nervous, not knowing quite how to act or what to say to her. But of course, she knew he was doing his best for her and the baby. That's because he really wanted that baby, Eleanor could see it now by the way he was unconsciously stroking her belly.

"And where we would go, Mr. T?" She asked amused.

"You should choose the place..." He muttered. "I'm not good at these things...".

She laughed.

"Alright then."

The barber looked at her. She offered him a small smile, she didn't know what to say and he didn't want her to say something. He just wanted to be there with her, enjoying the silence.

"Sleep now, pet." He whispered.

"But what about dinner? I-...".

He put two fingers on her lips, causing her to shut up quickly. Then he began stroking her cheek and it made her blush.

"I don't know why you still argue with me." He smiled slightly. "Go to sleep."

She even tried to get out of bed, but then she felt vertigo, something very strong, and this made her lie down again, one hand on her mouth, her breathing was ragged.

"Oh..." She mumbled. "I hate this nausea...".

"What did the doctor say about it...?" Sweeney pulled a blanket to cover her.

Eleanor sighed and closed her eyes.

"He said it's normal at first, and after that, I'll feel very hungry."

Sweeney was quiet for a few seconds.

"When you go to the doctor again, let me know and I'll go with you."

She opened her eyes.

"What will you do there?"

He sighed.

"I want to know everything that can happen to you... ".

She bit her lip in apprehension.

"Well, you better come with me after our..." She sighed. "Our wedding... So people will not suspect."

He nodded his head slightly.

"Close your eyes and sleep."

She did, and snuggled into her bed. She was really tired and a nap was going to be great if was not for a hand caressing the fabric of her dress, just above her belly. Eleanor opened her eyes and saw that the barber was still there with her, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"You'll be here watching me sleep?" She asked. But he was so absorbed in his thoughts to hear her. "Sweeney?" He didn't answer. Eleanor sighed and touched his hand and it made him look at her finally

"What?"

She laughed softly.

"Are you staying here?" She asked again.

The barber frowned, as if he hadn't understood. Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"I want to know if you will stay here and do nothing while I sleep..." She smiled.

His eyes widened slightly and then he sighed.

"Sorry."

She smiled.

"No need to apologize." She sighed. "Oh... I think... This corset is bothering me."

"You haven't stopped using corsets?" He asked.

Eleanor looked at him.

"No... I'll stop using after our wedding so people will not suspect..." She sat up in bed. "But I don't think I can sleep with it..."

Suddenly, she blushed furiously.

"What?" The barber was confused.

"Mr. T... Can you leave the room so I can change my clothes?" She asked ashamed. "I guess I better put a nightdress, you know..."

Sweeney blinked twice to be able to assimilate this request. Oh, it was obvious that she needed to be alone in the room to change. They were not married so he could _not_ see her naked body _yet_. Although, well, he remembered seeing her naked and it was an extremely enjoyable sight.

The barber got up and left the room, knowing that the baker would need a moment to herself. Five minutes later, he knocked on the door, wondering why she was relatively quiet.

"Come in." He heard her say. Her voice was weak and it worried him greatly. She was sitting in bed, wearing a simple and thin nightdress. She had a hand in the mouth, should probably have another vertigo.

"Are you okay?" He came over and sat beside her.

She nodded.

"Yeah, just... This sickness..." She sighed. "I never thought getting pregnant would be so difficult...".

He frowned slightly.

"You never tried having children before?" He asked.

Eleanor shook her head.

"It's not that I haven't tried... I really wanted to have children, but for that to happen, well, I needed to go through a very painful process and, frankly, I didn't want that... ".

She was referring to the intimate moments with her late husband. "_The bastard was very rude to her_...", the barber thought. Sweeney looked at her. It was then that something caught his attention: one of the straps of her nightgown was lying on her shoulder. In slow motion, he put the strap in place, however, the touch of his cold fingers with her warm skin made her tremble.

When she saw what he had done, she blushed, but thanked.

"Well... I think I'll rest now."

After this, she lay in bed, closed her eyes and sleep.

As he watched her sleep he could see many things different about her body. What most caught his attention, curiously, were her breasts, bigger than he remembered. She had a beautiful body, and he could see it even before the night they spent together, since she wore corsets and dresses that emphasized her body. Now, though, the barber could tell that her breasts were much bigger, and it was something extremely... Tempting.

The barber swallowed hard and looked away. It was not the time to have these kinds of thoughts.

"_Mom!_"

Toby came running in the room, but stopped when he saw his mother sleeping. The barber motioned for silence and the boy nodded and walked in slowly, trying not to make noise.

"Here's your change, sir." Toby took some money from his pocket.

"It's yours. Buy something, a candy, whatever you want to…" The barber said.

Toby smiled.

"What should I do with what you told me to buy, sir?"

Sweeney turned his gaze to the baker, who was fast asleep, and then, after thinking for a few seconds, he had an idea...

* * *

Eleanor woke up a few hours later, her body was relaxed and the sickness had gone. Interestingly, she was hungry now. The baker looked out the window of her room, seeing the orange sky.

Wow, how many hours she had slept?

And then, suddenly, she felt someone moving beside her and then a strong arm took her by the waist and pressed her small body against something solid. The baker turned to see none other than Sweeney Todd. He was lying beside her, he wasn't using his vest and the first three buttons of his white shirt were opened... He was soundly asleep.

Sweeney moved in his sleep and pulled her closer to him, burying his head in her neck. Her heart began to beat faster now. It was extremely good to have him there with her, but... Why the hell he was there?

"_Maybe he felt tired and decided to sleep here..._" She thought.

Eleanor turned to face him, blushing to be so close to him.

"Pet..." He said in his sleep.

Her eyes widened at that. He... He was dreaming about her? That was it? I mean, she was his "pet", no? Thus, he was dreaming about her. Her cheeks flushed and she felt her heart beat even faster. She had to wake him up before he said something even more inappropriate.

"Mr. Todd..." She shook her head. "_Sweeney. Sweeney is his name_..." She thought. She touched him on the shoulder and then in the face. "Sweeney, wake up."

His dark eyes opened and met hers. Eleanor saw a small smile on his thin lips and then he frowned slightly.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked.

She nodded her head slightly.

"Good..." He put a lock of hair behind her ear. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes I am." She confessed.

"Wait five minute." He kissed her forehead and rose from the bed, leaving the room.

Eleanor sat up. She hadn't slept so well for so long... She straightened her red hair and yawned slightly.

Five minutes later, the door was opened and Sweeney entered and sat down on the bed beside her. She noticed a sweet smell and then her eyes widened: He had prepared a tray of food for her. She could see a cup of hot tea, toast, butter, strawberry jam and blueberries. But the strangest thing was to see a yellow daisy in a vase.

The baker looked surprise to him; she just could not believe that this man - the man who had always been rude to her - could be so gentle with her.

What saddened her, though, was known that he was just behaving like that because she was expecting his child. He was being grateful, but he didn't love her. He never will...

"The boy and I did this to you earlier today, but you were sleeping so deeply that we had no courage to wake you." He smiled. "Toby is sleeping in his room now. He looked very tired."

Eleanor nodded her head slightly and bit her lip, turning her attention to the food tray. Sweeney surprised her expression.

"Don't you like it?" He asked quickly. "Because if you don't I can-..."

"No, it's not that, it's just..." She tried to suppress a smile. "I wasn't expecting all this."

His expression softened considerably.

"I see..." He took a cup of tea and handed it to her. "Take this, I think it will help...".

She took a sip of tea. Soon after, she sighed contentedly.

Yes, that was exactly what she needed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay, but I had some problems here at home...**

* * *

Their wedding took place a few days later, a Sunday, at around ten in the morning.

"You seem upset about something, Mom. Are you okay?"

Eleanor looked at Toby. The boy was looking at her intently, his eyes asking her if she had something to tell him.

"Don't worry, dear." The baker sighed and turned to look at herself in the mirror.

Her dress was simple and comfortable, what she needed. She didn't pay much, the weaver was her friend. She wanted nothing sophisticated because, well, she was no longer a little girl. But it was a beautiful dress anyway. Her red hair was tied back in a simple and elegant bun, some red curls falling over her face. She was also wearing earrings, something she had bought long ago, but never had the opportunity to use.

"Do you think I am... Pretty?" She asked uncertainly.

Toby laughed at his Mom's nervousness.

"You're beautiful, Mom. Mr. Todd will love to see you."

She smiled at the boy and kissed his forehead, murmuring:

"Thanks, dear." She sighed. "Now go to the living room. I'll see you in two minutes."

The boy nodded and left the bedroom. The baker looked at the mirror again. There was a small bouquet of white daisies in her hands, something she had done. She dreamed of marrying him so many times, and, well, she was going to marry him now, but... Just because she was expecting his child. She loved her baby more than her own life, but she did not want the barber to marry her just because of the baby. She wanted him to love her, really love her...

Eleanor sighed sadly. She wanted the boy's words to be true... She wanted Mr. Todd to love seeing her like that; she wanted him to thought she was beautiful, or perhaps attractive...

A single tear fell down her face, but she quickly wiped.

"No matter if I'm having his child... He'll always love her..." She whispered.

She was talking about Lucy. She had no chance against Lucy. Lucy was... Perfect... And even dead, Lucy would always win...

In one breath, she left her room and went to the living room to meet her future 'husband'.

The barber was next to the window. He was wearing a black suit, white shirt and black tie.

"Mr. Todd?"

She heard him chuckle and then he turned to look at her.

"When are you going to call me-...?"

His voice trailed off when he saw her. His eyes traveled over her body, as if trying to memorize every detail. When their eyes met, the barber swallowed hard. His soon-to-be wife was... Well, she was a wonder. She was beautiful and he was very lucky to have her as his wife.

Nervously, he approached her and took her chin, making her to look at him.

"Ready?" He asked.

She nodded.

"Yes."

When they reached the church, everything was very simple. She hadn't invited the few friends she had for her wedding. There was no reason for that. It wasn't a real wedding after all.

Shortly after, the priest began to speak... But Eleanor was not paying attention to what he was saying. Her head was full of thoughts and painful tears escaped her eyes. The priest obviously must have thought that her tears were happy tears, though that woman was the saddest bride he had ever seen.

"Eleanor Lovett, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

Oh, the priest didn't need to ask.

"I will."

The priest looked at the barber.

"Sweeney Todd, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

A cruel irony... The barber could be by her side in good or bad situations, he could respect her for all she had done for him, he could protect her and the baby, but... Could he love her?

"I will."

The priest nodded.

"The rings, please."

Her thoughts were cut off when she felt the barber kissing her left hand. She blushed even more when he put a golden ring on her finger. Soon after, she put a ring on his finger.

The barber smiled and kissed her hand again.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The priest said. "You may kiss the bride."

Eleanor looked at him, but then quickly looked away, blushing furiously. Sweeney, however, smiled and touched her arm, seeing her trembling under his touch. Then he wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her closer. But when his lips were about to touch hers, Eleanor looked away and Sweeney kissed her cheek. Realizing this, the barber frowned and looked at her, not understanding her actions. After a few seconds, she pushed him lightly, not daring to look at his eyes.

"Let's go home."

Half an hour later, they returned home in a carriage. Sweeney, however, was looking at her as she looked out the window. Long ago, she would knew how to disguise her emotions very well, the barber could barely tell where she was happy or sad. Today, however, everything changed. He could see very well what she was feeling, just needed to look into her eyes, and this is it, there it was, all that sadness and anguish.

When they entered the living room, the silence still reigned among them. Eleanor sighed deeply and laid her bouquet of white daisies on the piano.

Mrs. Eleanor Todd... She was his wife now. That was so... Surreal. She never thought of becoming his wife. She dreamed of this, she wanted it with all her heart, but she never truly believed it was actually happen... She was no fool.

But there she was, wearing a golden wedding ring.

Toby frowned slightly to see how those two seemed so... Apart from each other. The boy didn't know much about love - he was only nine years old -, but he knew that when people get married, they were quite happy. But the barber and the baker seemed like they were just tenant and landlady. It was weird.

"What we do now, Mom?" Toby said.

Eleanor looked at him and sighed.

"Go change your clothes." She said seriously. "A white shirt and black pants would be ideal. We'll not open the Pie Shop today, so you can go out and play with your friends if you want."

Toby smiled.

"Okay, Mom..." He said.

Shortly after the boy leave the room, Eleanor felt a hand touching her arm. She looked at the barber, who smiled at her.

"Are you alright, my pet?" Sweeney asked. "You seemed tired."

Eleanor thought for a moment, and then, she sighed.

"I barely sleep last night..."

"I see..." He said. "Well, if you are tired maybe you should sleep." She just nodded. "Are you hungry?" He asked. "I can prepare you something to eat, if you want me to. Maybe some tea, coffee, hot chocolate... Whatever you want. Tell me, my pet, and I'll do it for you."

She raised an eyebrow. His black eyes were looking at her with uncertainty, as if he didn't know how to talk to her. Eleanor just wondered if after the baby's birth the barber would continue being so gentle with her.

Probably not...

"Don't need to worry. I'm not hungry." She forced a smile. "But thanks anyway."

The sadness in her voice surprised him. He could see the disappointment in her voice. Her head was down; there was sadness in her eyes. The barber sighed. He had never been very good with words - he also didn't want to upset her even more, because he knew it was hard for her to accept the whole situation -, but he needed to say something...

"Alright then." He muttered. "But if you need anything, just tell me..."

Their eyes met and the barber forced a smile. Eleanor sighed and approached him, touching his face. He closed his eyes and kissed her small hand.

"Thank you. For everything." She whispered. "Thanks for being here with me... Thanks for giving me a child, a family..." She sighed sadly. "I know I'll never be as good as her, Lucy, because, well... She was perfect. B-but I swear... I'll try to be a good wife..." A tear fell down her face and then she looked away. "I'm so sorry... I-... " Her voice trailed off, she felt a pain in her chest. "I didn't want it to be this way..." She bit her lower lip. "I didn't-... I didn't want to force you to marry me...".

Sweeney took a few seconds to understand what she was talking about, to understand the reason for her anger and sadness. In the end, he sighed heavily. Then he took her chin, making her look at him. Her eyes were full of tears.

The sadness in her eyes was, I don't know... 'Impressive'. Yeah, I think 'impressive' would be the right word. He had never seen her so sad, so disappointed and at the same time, she was determined. Determined to be a good wife to him, determined to be a good mother... Determined to make him happy.

"You didn't force me into anything." He caressed her face, seeing as a single tear fell down her cheek. He wiped the tear. "I asked you to marry me, remember...?". But she snorted and looked away, visibly annoyed with herself. The barber sighed. "Pet..." He smiled a bit. "I like you. Don't think I don't. You... You will you give me a child and I could never be so grateful... ".

Eleanor had to fight hard not to scream at him. She never wanted his gratitude. At least, not_ only_ that. She wanted more than that. She wanted his love, she wanted to feel the passion, the lust, she wanted to feel his hands, large and cold, touching her body, she wanted to feel his cold lips kissing her lips... When he would understand that? It was not hard to notice, and after that night they spent together, the baker thought he would understand her feelings for him. And even if he had not noticed it before, just needed to look into her eyes and see all that love and affection that she was willing to give him... She would give her life for him. But if he only felt gratitude for her, she could do nothing about it... She should just accept, even breaking her heart.

Suddenly, the tears began to fall down her pale face. He touched her face with both hands and wiped her tears with his fingers.

"Don't cry." He whispered.

And incredibly, she smiled weakly.

"I-I'm fine... I'll go to my room and try to get some rest." She looked at him. "See you later."

But when she was about to leave, he grabbed her arm, causing her to look at him. Her eyes were no longer as red, but she looked so sad as before.

"What are you-...?"

"Our room..." He said softly.

She frowned.

"What?"

He smiled.

"Our room."

She blushed furiously and it made him laugh.

"Y-you will s-sleep in m-my room?"

He smiled and put a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You really thought I'd leave you alone in your room right now that I'm your husband?" He asked. "What if someone comes and wants to hurt you? What if a thief comes here and tries to find you? What if you get sick and need me? No, my pet, I will not leave you alone. I'll be there for you and for our child." He touched her belly. He could feel a slight difference and it made him smile. His baby was growing and it made him very happy.

She was so surprised she could barely answer him.

"Sweeney-...".

"I know I should have done this before and I regret that..." He sighed deeply. "There's no reason for both of us didn't sleep in the same bed, after all, we're married, right? You are my wife." He said firmly. "And therefore, we'll sleep in the same bed." He smiled when he saw her blushing. "However, the bed in my barbershop is very small so... I guess I'll have to sleep in your room.".

She swallowed hard.

"But-..."

"No, I don't wanna hear you." He touched her belly. "Married people sleep in the same bed...".

"Sweeney-..."

"Hush, pet.". He put his arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek, sighing against her skin. She blushed even more. "I have the right to do this, you can not deny me this... I want to be by your side if you feel something, if you have a nightmare... I want to be there to protect you... " He sighed. "I don't mind sleeping by your side. I like it, actually. Your skin is warm... It feels... Really good."

Her big brown eyes looked at him discredited. It was not possible that he was saying this, even more because, well, he was being very sweet and he was not sweet. He had always been rude. He was not kind, his heart was full of hate...

But there he was, in front of her, saying that he wanted - almost desperately, I would say - to share a bed with her. And she wanted to sleep by his side, feel his warmth... However, it would be hard to do that without being able to kiss him and make love to him. It would be hard to live with him, look at him every day, and honestly she didn't know how she would control herself and maybe, if she started to share a bed with him, she would end up losing the little control she had over herself... However, Eleanor knew that the barber would never accept "no" as an answer.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked.

He nodded.

"Yes, I am."

And after all, all she could do was sighing. This wasn't going to end well and she knew it very well. But what could she do?

"Fine."

The smile he gave her was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. And his smile could make her to take away her air, make her legs shake, make her heart beat faster in her chest.

"Go to our room... I'll be with you in a moment." He said. There was some excitement in his voice. "I'll pick my clothes. You will help me to organize my clothes in the wardrobe, my pet?"

Her expression softened and she smiled softly.

"Yes, Sweeney."

He nodded and kissed her forehead, seeing her blushing slightly. Soon after, he left.

The baker stood in the middle of the living room, staring at an empty space. Then she looked at the flowers on the piano and then at the gold ring on her finger.

She wondered how much longer she would give in to his desires.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hope you enjoy.**

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The night came. It was a little chilly, autumn was about to begin. The streets were covered with a carpet of orange leaves, it was very beautiful indeed. Eleanor was in her living room, sitting by the fire, watching the flames slowly burning the wood.

The baker snorted angrily. It was her wedding night and even though her husband wanted to sleep in the same bed with her, he would never touch her again, only did it once because he was drunk.

A faint smile appeared on her sad face.

"_At least I will not wake up in an empty bed..._"

She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to get warm. She remembered the nights she spent alone, since Albert never allowed her to sleep with him in bed. She slept in another room, in a small old bed. She sighed. There were times when she slept by the fireplace to keep herself warm. When Albert died, she bought a new bed and some blankets, but it took a long time to get used to sleeping on something as comfortable as a mattress.

"You should not be here."

His deep voice made her jump, but she refused to look back. Suddenly, she felt a blanket around her shoulders and then she saw the barber sitting beside her. He wore white pajamas and his hair was wet, should have just taken a bath.

Eleanor felt herself blushing.

"Mr. Todd...?" She stuttered.

He took a deep breath and shook his head.

"It's Sweeney, pet." He corrected her.

It was almost funny to look at him now. She knew he didn't like when she addressed him so formally, but she simply could not help it. It was still very odd for her to call him by his first name.

"Sweeney..." She whispered. "What are you doing here?"

He blinked twice before answering:

"I noticed that you were not in the room..." He put a lock of red hair behind her ear. "I was worried."

Eleanor sighed.

"I'm fine..." She said. "Don't need to worry..."

"Don't do that again." He said quickly, stroking her cheek with his fingertips. It was something he used to do while talking to her.

Eleanor watched his face, not understanding what was going on in his mind. His dark eyes were looking at her, his gaze was intense; his eyes as black as a moonless night, his nose, his male jaw, his thin lips... Those lips... Eleanor looked down. It was _not_ the time to have these kinds of thoughts.

"_Nothing will happen between us after all..._"

The baker turned her gaze to the fireplace. She needed to forget. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, but the thoughts and memories were tormenting her mind. She opened her eyes when she felt a cold hand pulling her by the waist and pressing her body against something solid. Sweeney rested his head on her shoulder, his hands on her belly, stroking slightly. Eleanor closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't know how much longer she would resist.

Time passed, the fire was burning, the wood was turning coal.

Eleanor yawned. Two minutes later, she yawned again. Don't blame her, everything was very comfortable: she was sitting by the fire, two strong arms around her...

"Sleepy?" He asked hoarsely.

He felt her sighing against his chest.

"Yes..."

She did not know how, why, or what were his thoughts at that moment - despite being obvious -, but suddenly cold lips began to caress the skin of her neck and by the sudden contact they shared now, she could feel a very strong heart beat. And it was his heart.

"Mr. Todd?" He heard her stutter.

She heard him chuckle, but he didn't stop kissing her neck, actually, he continued with his kisses, he opened his mouth and his tongue tasted her skin, she could hear his ragged breath, she could feel his hands tighten the fabric of her nightgown, she could hear his heart pounding in his chest...

"What... Do I need... To do to make you... Call me by... My first name... Uh, my pet?" He asked between his kisses. He was now using his tongue on the skin of her neck.

It didn't take long to her moan.

"Don't do this-..." She tried to say.

But he didn't stop.

"Don't you like it?" He asked, bringing her closer to him, pressing her back against his chest. His hands ran through her body and stopped at her breasts, his hands cupped her breasts, squeezing it gently, without any shame, and this time, she moaned loudly. "Oh, I see you like it..." He mumbled, biting her ear.

He was trying to figure out what she liked. It was odd, but really good. Eleanor didn't know why he was doing this to her, kissing and caressing her, but he was doing so well that she almost forgot the circumstances under which they were.

"Sweeney..." She moaned suddenly.

Oh, it made him grunt in satisfaction. In response, he squeezed her breasts harder. She moaned again, her hand touching his hair, she didn't knew what she was doing anymore. The baker knew he would _not_ stop what he was doing as she was clearly responding positively to his kisses and caresses.

Slowly, he turned her face to make her face him. He looked into her eyes for a few seconds, seeing the insecurity she was feeling. Without thinking, he put one hand behind her neck and began to kiss her mouth, stroking her lips with his. Eleanor grabbed his face with her hands, kissing him back with passion. He pulled her by the waist and sat her on his lap, leaning his back against the couch.

Her mouth moved against his, her movements were desperate, as if her life needed those kisses. And she was a good kisser! Her lips were kissing his, caressing his, and one time or another, she bit his lower lip, taking a moan from his throat. Their tongues were touching all the time, something wild, but gentle at the same time.

Her hands pulled his hair slightly, and then her hands were on his shoulders, squeezing tightly. His hands touched and caressed her thighs, waist and back, and one time or another; he touched her face and hair.

The minutes passed - I don't know exactly how many, but many were - and after that, the kisses were decreasing in intensity.

"Tell me to stop and I'll stop." He whispered against her lips, kissing her right then. "I will not do anything you don't want to..."

Her answer was to start undoing the buttons of his pajamas. The barber smiled but held her wrists, preventing her to continue with her job.

"If we'll do that, I want you to feel as comfortable as possible."

She had no time to answer, because he had already taken her in his arms, bridal style, and then he took her to the bedroom. When he laid her in bed, Eleanor felt herself blush even more. She knew what he wanted to do, but she was not sure if she should continue. It was very confusing for her. She never imagined that he wanted to touch her again.

But her thoughts vanished when she saw the barber locking the door...

Soon after, he walked up to her, stayed on top of her. The barber smiled. It was extremely nice to have her there with him. He could not deny it. All he wanted now was a good night with her, his wife and mother of his child.

Making love to her was not a new idea; he had already thought of that, actually, he thought about it since he had asked her to be his wife. She was beautiful and he liked her a lot. But what he found most attractive about her was the fact that she was expecting his child. _His_ child. That child could be of any other man, but it was _his_ and it made him feel very, very happy. Therefore, he wanted to show her how happy he was. He could not think of anyone better to be the mother of his child. He knew she was gentle and sweet, he saw how good she was with the boy Toby, then he knew she was going to be a great mother to their baby.

And after processing all this in his mind and watch her face for a few seconds, he leaned over to kiss her on the lips, something gentler, very unusual coming from him. She kissed him back, her hands running through his hair, stroking his head slightly. But he had to laugh when he felt her little hands undoing the buttons of his pajamas shirt. When the last button was undone, Sweeney took off his shirt and threw it on the floor and then, he kissed her again, this time, more intensely.

A moan coming from her mouth made him want to explore a bit of her exposed skin. His lips left hers and went to her chin; he gave her almost innocent kisses. After this, his tongue began to explore the skin of her neck. She moaned as he began to suck the skin of her neck.

Her hands returned to his hair, and then she tilted her head back, giving him more access to her skin. And as if he was reading her mind, his lips went to her collarbone and right shoulder, which he bit lightly.

"Sweeney..."

Her voice was _so_ sweet it made him smile.

He kissed her again, slipping his tongue into her mouth, feeling happy and even more excited when she kissed him back. His hands went to her waist, pressing her hips against his. He was sure she could feel his erection. He was hard as a rock, he really needed her. His hands lifted her thin nightdress so he could touch her thighs, making her moan against his mouth. The skin on her legs was _so_ soft...

"Mister T..."

He even thought of complaining, tell her to call him by his first name, but then he reconsidered and even liked the nickname.

He started kissing her neck again, using his tongue, and then he went back to her mouth. Her hands went to his back, her nails scratching his skin lightly. Sweeney moaned so loudly that he thought that even the neighbors could hear them. He looked at the woman in his arms: she was panting, her cheeks were very red and her eyes were covered by a cloud of pure lust. Suddenly, the baker pulled his face and started kissing his lips, biting them occasionally, making him moan loudly.

"Eleanor..." Their eyes met. "Don't tease me, my pet. I don't want to lose control and hurt you."

She kissed him on the lips again, pressing her small body against his. His hand touched her right thigh, placing it around his waist. Ah, now she could feel how hard he was. That made her happy, somehow, even though she thought he was just doing this just for lust, not for love. But she's a practical woman. She would try to take what she could.

Her little hands traveled at his pajamas pants. The barber helped her to take off his pants and throw them on the floor, along with his shirt. After that, she started to unbutton the buttons of his underwear. One by one, she undid the buttons, taking his underwear off quickly. And by the way he was sucking the skin of her neck, Eleanor was sure that the next morning, she will had very evident red marks on her neck. And she didn't care a bit about it.

She gasped when she felt a cold hand on her right breast. And she could not help but moan, and this encouraged the barber to continue with his job, massaging her breast, his lips kissing her lips lightly.

His hands were on her thighs again, but her nightdress was bothering him much.

"I promise I'll give you money to buy as many nightdresses you want to." He whispered against her lips.

Eleanor frowned, not understanding what he was trying to say. Then, in one swift motion, he tore her nightdress in two and threw the rags on the floor. The baker was so impressed that she could barely formulate a word. The barber paused to observe her half-naked body. Eleanor blushed furiously by the way he was looking at her, and, embarrassed, she looked away. Sweeney, however, took her chin and made her look at him, a slight smile on his lips.

"You're beautiful..." He said.

But she blushed even more.

He watched her body for a few minutes, he just wanted to enjoy and savor her skin. He let his hands run, exploring her body, dipping into her curves, feeling her tremble under his touch, until his hands reach her breasts. He squeezed them lightly, making her moan, she seemed to crave for more. And he gave her more. He kissed her lips, her neck, her collarbone and then he kissed her right breast, slipping his tongue, sucking her nipple. His left hand squeezed her left breast while his right hand caressed her right leg.

"Sweeney..." She moaned.

It was _so_ erotic to have her there, half naked, moaning his name so easily. His mouth went to her left breast and he repeated the process, this time slowly, hearing her moan again. Looking at her, he could see her flushed face, but she was still wearing her underwear. Hesitant, his hands ran through her warm body again, making her shiver. Soon, his hands stopped at her waist, pulling her last piece of clothing. Now she was naked, completely naked, right there, just for him. He then started kissing her belly, his kisses were almost harmless.

"Our child..." He whispered between kisses. "Our baby..."

Tears in her eyes now, but she honestly didn't know if she should say something. She just closed her eyes and tried to seize the moment to the fullest. After all, it could never happen again. She felt his lips down through her body, until her hips, her right thigh, knee, shin and then her foot. She had to chuckle softly with it.

"What's so funny, my pet?"

Eleanor opened her eyes. The barber was now on top of her again; his dark eyes were looking at her curiously, trying to find an answer. But she could not find words to answer him. Then she decided to kiss his lips again, slowly, she was not afraid to express her feelings. Even if he didn't love her she could show him how much she loved him and how important that moment was for her.

Suddenly, she felt his hands on her hips...

"I need you." He whispered against her lips.

She placed one of her legs around his waist, as if to encourage him to continue. Two seconds later, he thrust into her and a small groan escaped his lips as she moaned against his neck. He, despite wanting to move now, decided to wait a bit, so she could get used to having him inside of her. He began distributing soft kisses on the skin of her neck, his hands stroking her legs. Slowly, he began to move in and out, and as the seconds passed, they began to move together, moans of pleasure filled the room. Eleanor dug her nails into his back, feeling him hug her by the waist and bite her neck, groaning soon after. She began to scratch his back, she was sure in the next morning he would also have very clear red marks on his back. On impulse, she put her other leg around his waist, hearing him moan loudly.

After a few minutes, it was over. The two were lying side by side on the bed, both looking at the ceiling, hearts pounding, sweaty bodies, both were panting, none of them dared to move, they could barely think.

After recovering his breath, the barber looked at the woman by his side: she seemed surprised. Sweeney then pulled her by the waist, allowing her to rest her head on his chest. However, she remained tense, he could feel it. With his fingertips, he began stroking her arm, making her shiver.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked nervously.

She shook her head slightly, making him sigh of relief. He looked at her for a moment, seeing her tired eyes, but she seemed to refuse to sleep.

"Sleep now, pet." He said, kissing the top of her head. "Goodnight."

She swallowed hard.

"Goodnight..."

But he was the first to sleep. She could feel his soft breathing, his strong arms around her, his heart rate had returned to normal, it was like a lullaby to her. Eleanor raised her head and looked at him: he was soundly asleep.

Eleanor rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. She didn't want to wake up tomorrow morning and find out that everything was nothing but a dream, another dream. But, heavens, if it had not been a dream, she hoped he would not pretend that nothing had happened between them and at least explain why he made lov-... had sex with her.

The baker sighed.

It could have been nothing to him. It could have been just a night, a moment of weakness or madness, something he would never remember, or maybe just sex, something superficial and unimportant to him. For her, however, it was something completely different.

"_The best night I ever had..._", it was the last thing she thought before falling asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I'm very happy with the reviews. Glad you are enjoying the story.**

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Eleanor woke with the sunlight on her face. Her mind was blank and for a moment she didn't know what day it was, or where she was. Much less what she did. But she was very sleepy and didn't want to wake up now. So she decided to bury her head on her pillow. However, she couldn't do this because her head wasn't rested on her pillow. When she opened her eyes and saw that her pillow was a strong chest, her husband, she sat up quickly. The baker frowned, refusing to believe it was real. She looked around the bedroom and saw clothes on the floor. Images from last night came into her mind and then her eyes widened.

"_It wasn't a dream._" She thought.

Eleanor watched her husband for a long time without saying a word. It was so odd to see him there, lying on her bed, naked, soundly asleep. Maybe he wanted to feel some warmth after all. Or he just didn't want to see her alone and then decided to kiss her... Eleanor sighed. It was very confusing. When he returned to London, about a year ago, Eleanor never, ever thought that he could feel lust for her. He had never even looked at her. Today, well, they were married, but only because of the baby, there was no love, only gratitude. But last night, all her thoughts were thrown out the window. The barber was gentle, concerned with what she felt and wanted, he was extremely selfless.

The baker bit her lower lip. It was a very pleasant night - one of the best moments of her life - and even that it had been just sex for him, Eleanor would save that night in her mind and in her heart for the rest of her life. For now, that was all that mattered.

She covered herself with a blanket and looked around, looking for the rest of her clothes. She saw some rags on the floor. Eleanor frowned and took what seemed to be her nightdress. The barber's words came into her mind:

"_I promise I'll give you money to buy as many nightdresses you want to._"

She felt herself blushing as she remembered it, but then she sighed deeply: this was her favorite nightdress. The baker then rose quietly from the bed not to wake the barber. However, such was her surprise when she looked at the mirror of her room. There were purple and red marks on her neck, chest and arms. She felt so... Alive.

Eleanor looked back at the man in her bed. He also had red marks on his arms...

"_I hope he doesn't mind._" She thought.

One hour later, she was in her kitchen preparing breakfast. Her morning sickness had apparently gone, she felt hungrier now, but once in a while she felt a headache and some dizziness.

"Good morning, Mom!"

Eleanor smiled at her son. The boy still had a sleepy face, but he was smiling at her. He sat on a chair and began to eat his oatmeal. Eleanor kissed him on the forehead.

"Hello, dear. Did you sleep well?" She asked, pouring him some orange juice in a glass.

The boy yawned, nodding slightly.

"Yeah, what about you?"

Eleanor felt herself blushing a bit, more memories from last night came into her mind, but she tried to avoid such thoughts.

"I... I slept well." She said with a small smile. "_Very well._" She thought.

Toby - the smart boy he was - noticed his mom's nervousness, and by the way she blushed, something told him that something had happened in that house. However, the boy decided to say nothing, to not let his mom more nervous.

"What about my little brother?" He asked innocently. "How's he going?"

Eleanor raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you think it's a boy?" She asked curiously.

The boy shrugged.

"I don't know. Just a guess..." He said.

Sweeney opened his eyes when he heard his wife's laugh. The bedroom door was half open. In a grunt, he sat on the bed. He smiled, however, when he saw his pajamas on the floor. Ten minutes later, he was dressed and decided to speak with his wife.

"_The kitchen._" He thought.

She was cooking something, maybe a filling for a pie; he didn't know what it was. He watched her with a small smile on his lips. He had to stifle a laugh, however, when the baker turned and looked at him.

"S-Sweeney?" She jumped.

He approached her and stopped right in front of her. She swallowed and felt her face blushing a bit.

"Good morning, pet. Did you sleep well?"

She blushed even more and nodded quickly, not daring to say anything more.

"That's good." His hand slid down her body, and he began to stroke her right arm. "Can you help me? I could not find my black vest. Do you know where it is?" He asked.

That's when she realized he was not wearing his vest, just his white shirt. And interestingly, the first buttons of his shirt were opened. This made her blush and for a minute or two she could not think.

"On my... Our wardrobe..." She sighed. "Wait a minute."

She left the kitchen quickly.

When Eleanor came into her room, however, something caught her attention: her bed, by the way, was all messed up. The baker looked at her bed for a long time, memories and more memories in her mind. And she was so distracted that didn't hear him enter the room. Just noticed him when she felt his strong arms around her waist. Then she jumped and turned to face him. He had a small smile on his lips.

"M-Mr. Todd..."

It was there that he understood that, when she was nervous, she would call him by his formal name and there was nothing he could do.

"My vest, pet." He said softly.

Eleanor nodded and went over to the wardrobe, opening it and looking for his clothes. She had always been an organized person; she had no problems in organizing her husband's clothes on the huge wardrobe she had. After 10 seconds, she took a black vest from a drawer.

"Here it is." She handed him the vest.

"Thank you." He put his vest on.

Eleanor nodded and headed to the door.

"We need to talk." His husky voice made her shiver, but she didn't dare to turn around to face him. "Close the door."

She frowned. "Why?"

"Close the door." His voice sounded more serious this time.

Eleanor took a deep breath and closed the door, still not able to turn and look at him. She did this, however, when he felt a warm breath against the skin of her neck and then, closing her eyes, she turned around and heard him ask:

"Why didn't you wake me?"

She opened her eyes, blushing when she noticed how close he was, his black eyes looking at hers with an unusual curiosity, but his expression was as serious as ever.

"I... I didn't want to bother you." She said nervously.

The barber shook his head and took a step forward.

"You don't bother me." He spoke with a hoarse voice.

The baker took a step back, and then another one and another, until she felt her back leaning against something big, slick and cold: the door. She found herself cornered; she was between the barber and the door, no way to escape. The barber obviously noticed her nervousness and smiled, amused by the situation. He then touched her face, watching as she closed her eyes and blushed even more, she seemed not to be thinking at that moment. Until...

"Last night was..." He smiled. "Really nice."

She opened her eyes and look at him, her mind working and working.

"It was?" She asked, feeling quite nervous at that moment.

He nodded.

"Eleanor, I-..."

She silenced him with a kiss. His eyes widened for a moment, but then he closed them and kissed her back. He put a hand behind her neck, while the other went through her body until it stops at her waist, pressing her body against his. After a few minutes, the barber broke the kiss to take some air, but the baker kissed him right away, not wanting to lose the contact. Her attitude made him smirk and he kissed her back. Before long, his lips traveled down her jaw, to her neck. That's when he noticed that she was wearing a winter dress, not showing her shoulders or her neck, neither her collarbone.

She heard him snort.

"Why are you wearing this...?" He asked. "So much cloth... I can't kiss you neck..."

She tried, but could not help laughing.

"It's cold today." She whispered. "And how could I serve my customers with red marks on my neck?"

He smiled and kissed her again.

"I mean it about last night." He said suddenly. "It was _really_ nice."

Eleanor looked into his eyes, trying to find an answer. She couldn't. His eyes were a real puzzle, she could not know what he was thinking.

"It was not just sex then?" She asked nervously. He was silent for a long time and it made her think he would not answer her question. Embarrassed, she looked down and said: "Sorry for asking, but I need to know." She looked at him. "You know what I feel for you, and... I need to know what to expect from you. I need to know if I'll have just sex or..." She sighed heavily. "Or if I'll have something as good as love."

His black eyes widened a bit, but he said nothing; his black eyes just watched her with curiosity. When she decided to say something else, she felt him caressing her cheek fondly and look into her eyes carefully before saying:

"I want this marriage to work." The baker frowned slightly, making him smile. She was cute when she was confused. "I didn't marry you just because of the baby. It was... It was much more than that, my pet, I-..." He sighed and smiled a bit. "I like you."

Eleanor bit her lip. Her heart pounded in her chest now and she didn't know what to say right now.

"Your eyes tell me you don't believe me." He whispered.

She sighed.

"It's hard to believe."

He frowned. "Why?"

"Because you never looked at me, it was as if I didn't exist." She said. "Now, well, I'm pregnant and you are being very nice to me-..."

"You think I being kind with you just because of the baby?" She nodded her head slightly. "It's not."

She swallowed hard.

"W-why then?" She asked.

His answer came in a kiss. He put a hand behind her neck and deepened the kiss. She kissed him back two seconds later, sighing against his mouth. It was nice to have him there with her, even though she didn't know his true intentions towards her. She just loved to be able to enjoy his kisses; it made her more than happy. It gave her peace.

"I feel something for you." He whispered. "I don't know what it is, but..." He sighed. "Your skin is warm and I enjoy your kisses." He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Your voice calms me and I feel safe when I hold you." Suddenly, she felt his big hand stroking her belly. "It makes me believe that life is worth."

He felt her hand rest on his and when he returned his gaze to her, he saw the most beautiful smile in the world.

"Do you really want to?" She asked five seconds later. "You... You are really willing to give us a chance?"

He smiled softly and put a strand of red hair behind her ear.

"You want me to give us a chance, my love...?"

She took his face with both hands and kissed him on the lips. He kissed her back soon after.

"You will not regret it." She whispered between the kisses. "I promise."

Oh, she didn't need to promise. He already knew he would not regret.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the delay, but I'm so busy. School, work, I'm almost out of time! And I was out of ideas as well, uninspired. (Sigh) But anyway, here it is! Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Four months and now her belly began to swell considerably. In fact, she thought her belly look bigger than it should. The doctor, however, said it was very common, there where many women who had won so much weight during their pregnancies too. Eleanor was worried about this and other things. She knew that her belly would grow even more and, by consequence, it would be very difficult to work. She thought several times about close the Pie Shop, however, she enjoyed working.

It was a dilemma.

But there was something else too, and well, it made her reconsider. Despite being small, her belly was already visible, so people could already tell she was expecting a baby. But even the golden ring on her finger proving that she was a married woman again - even with almost anyone knowing who her husband was -, the baker, unfortunately, did not get rid of being judged by some of her costumers, mostly women who had nothing better to do.

Her son Toby, seeing his mom's anger, tried to cheer her up saying:

_"They are jealous of you, Mom."_

_Eleanor laughed at that._

_"Jealous?"_

_The boy nodded._

_"Yes, you are very pretty and your businesses are successful. They don't have all this." He told her. "But don't worry. Everybody knows that what these women say is not true."_

The baker sighed. She should be used to it because even before her marriage she was victim of bad looks and people saying that she and the barber had an affair. Today, well, they were married and with a child. And that was what worried the baker, somehow. Her pregnancy made her more sensitive and she knew she could not take long to have to hear such comments, since her customers didn't care change the subject when she approached or was around them in the Pie Shop. It was as if they did it on purpose, as if they wanted for her to hear them.

At first, Eleanor tried to ignore, forcing a smile, or even spending more time in the kitchen. However, there was one day in particular when she just got angry. She was at the marketplace with her son, shopping, around nine in the morning. The baker decided to stop at a candy store, she had an urge to eat chocolate. Her surprise was that, on entering the candy store, all the people there looked at her. The problem, however, was not the fact of people looking at her, but the fact of people saying things they shouldn't:

_"I don't believe she is pregnant."_

_"Yes, but I doubt that the alleged father is her husband. She is the type of woman who sleeps with everyone."_

Exceptionally that day, she didn't open her Pie Shop.

* * *

Sweeney was shaving a costumer when he heard him say:

"The pie shop will not open today, sir?"

He frowned, but continued with his work.

"I don't know." He said, finishing his service and wiping the man's face with a cloth.

The customer sighed.

"Well, I saw a sign saying "closed", so I guess I will not open today." Sweeney rolled his eyes at the stupid logical reasoning. "It's a shame. I was planning to have lunch there today." And then he smiled. "Not to mention I would see the owner of the establishment, Mrs. Eleanor Lovett. She's a wonderful woman."

Sweeney thought of cutting the man's throat, but he had promised to his wife that he would not kill anyone else if it was not necessary, then he controlled himself and kept his razor in his pocket.

"It's done." He said coldly. He could kill that man, couldn't he? It would be a pleasure, but how get rid of the body?

"Thank you, Mr. Todd. You're the best barber in all London."

The man stood up, handed the money to the barber and left.

Sweeney counted to ten to keep from screaming in anger. Snorting, he walked to the window to observe the movement and calm down. That's when the man's words returned to his mind.

"_The pie shop would not open today?_" He thought.

But it was Friday, the place should be full of people, especially at lunchtime. Curious to know what was happening, and knowing that he could not deal with another customer talking about his wife, the barber locked the barbershop's door and went down the stairs.

When he saw Toby talking with his friends, he approached him and said:

"Where's your mother?"

The boy froze, like his friends, and looked at the barber.

"Oh, h-hello, sir."

"Where's your mother?"

"She… She's in the kitchen, I guess..."

"Is she okay?"

Toby bit his lip.

"Not exactly. She seemed very angry..."

"And do you know why?"

Toby thought for a moment before answering:

"I think it's because of what happened in the candy store, sir."

Sweeney frowned.

"Candy store?"

"Yeah, I... We were at the market and she said she really wanted to eat chocolate, so we went to a candy store. But when we got there, all the people looked to us."

"And what happened then?"

"Mom asked me to wait outside while she bought some candy. Two minutes later she came out from the store and she seemed very angry." He sighed. "I think someone said something to her and she didn't like."

The barber sighed deeply, imagining what kind of things his wife had heard.

"She's in the kitchen, you said?"

"Yes, sir. But I would not go there if I were you.

Sweeney raised an eyebrow.

"And why not?"

"She's very upset, sir." The boy whispered. "It's scary."

Sweeney smiled a bit.

"Go play with your friends."

The boy nodded.

"Okay. Good luck with her, sir."

After this, the barber went to the kitchen.

* * *

His wife was in the kitchen cutting vegetables with a pretty big sharp knife. But she was so clearly angry that Sweeney felt sorry for the vegetables.

He stopped at the kitchen door and watched her in silence. She was so angry that she would not notice his presence so soon. Her belly was larger than he remembered. Sweeney wondered if she had felt something, the baby's moves, but he could tell that she should be very eager to this to happen. He also wanted to be able to feel his baby in her belly, although this idea was a bit scary. He never thought he would be a father again, not after Johanna. Today, however, he was very fond of that idea.

The sound of a knife being thrown against the table awoke him from his thoughts.

Eleanor snorted angrily. She wanted very much to be able to drink her gin, but she knew she could not, she was pregnant after all. Many thoughts occupied her mind - very bad thoughts, you know - and now she was beginning to feel a headache. She felt her body freeze when she heard a voice:

"What those people said to make you feel so angry?" When she turned and looked at him, he felt a huge concern. He could see the tears forming in her eyes. And he didn't like it. Oh, he didn't like it one bit. "Pet?" So he approached her in quick steps and cupped her face, watching how she blushed and looked away. "Are you alright?"

She just nodded. This made the barber sigh because he knew she would not tell him what happened in the candy store. She's as stubborn as he was. However, he needed to make her talk to him. He was her husband after all, he needed to be there for her, he needed to show that he cared about her. Just looking at her he could tell that there was something boring her. She needed to tell him what it was.

He pulled up a chair and made her sit on it. Then he took a glass of water and offered to her. She drank it all very quickly.

"Now..." He pulled another chair and sat in front of her. "Tell me what happened."

She shook her head and looked down.

"Nothing happened, Mr. T"

He raised an eyebrow at the words "Mr. T".

"The boy told me that you were angry. What happened?"

Seeing that he would not give up, the baker sighed and looked away, visibly embarrassed.

"Can't we talk about this later?" She suggested. "I-I really don't want to talk about it now...".

She heard him sigh.

"You have to, Eleanor." He took her chin and forced her to look at him. "I know something's bothering you and I want you to tell me. Now."

The baker was silent for a while and then rose from the chair, walking over to the window, getting her back to her husband, who just watched her with attention. He could say she was angry and sad.

"What did they say, pet?" He asked softly.

She crossed her arms.

"They said you are a fool for believing that this baby is yours." She whispered. "But I swear it's yours. I mean, who else would be the father? I've never-..." Her voice trailed off. "I've never made love to another man... Things with Albert were almost like a rape. It was painful." She looked down at her hands. "But with you, I feel love and lust, something I waited for so long..."

She heard his footsteps behind her and closed her eyes, expecting the worst.

"You really think I'm going to believe them?" She turned to face him. However, she found a small smile on his lips. "I will not." He looked at her belly for a moment and then turned to look in her eyes. "I know it's mine."

The baker blushed a bit.

"I was afraid that you would think the baby is not yours.." She confessed.

It didn't take long for him to understand the entire situation. People saying bad things about her... She was afraid that he would believe in some of these things and stop liking her. It was something silly, since he would never believe in those people, but even so, he understood her fear. She had been alone for so long that any "threat" to the happiness she now lived scared her more than anything. There was also her pregnancy, making her more sensitive than she really was.

Funny was thinking that it was so impossible not to feel something good and strong for her that he knew that he could never leave her.

Smiling a bit, the barber cupped her face and kissed her lips.

"You should not feel disheartened by this kind of thing, my love. You will have a baby and it's not good to feel so angry."

The big brown eyes she had stared at him for a long time. To his surprise, she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. He then put his hands on her waist and hugged her. He could feel her belly against his, a small difference, and it made him smile. He rested his hand on her belly, feeling her little hands tightening the fabric of his blue vest; it was as if she was afraid of something.

"It's not like I had not heard bad things before, but there are things that... It's too much. People saying things they didn't know... Things they think it's true... But it's not, I swear…"

He felt her shiver as his hands caressed her arms and went up to her shoulders, squeezing them lightly. When she felt his cold lips on her face, she closed her eyes and sighed. His touch was all she needed at the time.

"It doesn't matter what they think, pet." He whispered. "I know very well this baby it's mine. You don't need to feel this way."

He felt her covered his lips with hers. The barber opened her mouth with his tongue and sighed as he felt her little hands in his hair. He knew they were in the middle of the afternoon, but there was nothing wrong in being able to kiss his wife once or twice, right?

However, those kisses become much more than two or three kisses and when the barber realize, his wife was walking over to their room, pulling him by the shirt, and seconds later, he and his wife were already in bed, him on top her, kissing passionately.

When she bit his lip, he groaned against her mouth. His right hand went up to the back of her neck, while his other hand touched her leg, squeezing it gently. She could feel his breath and his kisses seemed to intensify. He undid the first buttons of her dress and pulled it down, showing her neck, collarbone and shoulders.

"So beautiful..." He started kissing her neck.

Things between them were improving considerably and despite his kisses were something new for her, the baker got used to it quickly, she felt fine with it all. It feels great. They kissed slowly for a few minutes, their tongues exploring each other's mouths. Eleanor buried her hands in his gray hair, and then bit his lower lip. In response, he groaned, but also squeezed her thigh, smiling by the way she moaned his name. He kissed her cheeks, chin and all the way to her neck. She winced, but then chuckled to feel him unbutton the buttons of her dress. It was amazing how everything changed between them in just a few months.

Minutes later, she could feel how hard he was.

"Make love to me."

And she didn't need asking twice. He continued to kiss and to take their clothes off. And they didn't care if they were in the middle of the afternoon.

"My pet..." His seductive voice made her smile and she took his face in both hands and kissed him on the lips again.

She began to unbutton the buttons of his blue vest, and then she threw it on the floor. Soon after, she began to unbutton the buttons of his shirt and, like many times before, she began stroking his bare chest, teasing him. When her little hands reached his belt, Sweeney took her hands, preventing her from continuing to undress him.

"It's my turn."

The barber sat her on the bed and began lowering her dress. He did not wait for her to be completely naked to take one of her breasts with his mouth, sucking hard, feeling her little hands on his hair while her mouth was moaning his name. She just loved it when he did that, especially now that she is pregnant and so sensitive to his touches and kisses. She felt completely his; it was as if there was no escape. And she would not escape. She could make love with him for an eternity.

When his lips began to suck her other breast, the baker moaned loudly and lay back on the bed. His hands seemed rushed, trying desperately to take her clothes off. His lips down her body until her belly, where he stopped for a moment and said:

"Have you felt anything?" He asked. "I mean... The baby?"

She shook her head.

"Not yet." She said. "But I promise that when it happens, you'll be the first to know..."

She heard him laugh and then he started kissing her belly as his hands lowered her dress. Then he removed her shoes and socks, along with her underwear, throwing them on the floor. He kicked away his shoes, and took off his belt. However, removing his pants was a very difficult task, since Eleanor was kissing and sucking the skin of his neck. She smiled as he let out a deep moan. She tilted her head back and kissed him on the lips, slowly sliding her tongue into his mouth.

"Pet..."

His underwear was the last clothing to fall on the floor. After that, he began to taste his wife again. His mouth kissed her collarbone and then her right breast again, sucking slowly. Eleanor let out a loud groan and placed one of her legs around his waist.

It did not take long for him to take her hips with both hands and thrust into her, moving slowly as his lips caressed her neck lovingly. It was almost agonizing because he was moving so slowly that it was as if she was about to beg him to move harder and faster. But even then, she loved the fact that he moved so slowly, it made her feel special, he treated her with such a gentleness, it was very unusual.

Her nails scratched his arms, almost drawing blood from his skin. None of them was thinking anymore.

Sometime later, they were both panting, side by side in bed. Sweeney pulled his wife close to him, resting her head on his chest while he stroked her hair. Both sighed.

"Do you remember what I told you about we walk through the city?" She nodded slightly. "I thought we could go out tonight. You, me and the boy..." He suggested softly. "We can go wherever you want..." He kissed her red hair. "Just need to tell me."

She smiled.

"I don't know..." She said, resting her chin on his chest, looking at him. "I'm not used to go out a lot, you know... Always stayed at home." She sighed and rested her head on his chest again. "Albert never let me leave the house. He said I was not worthy or something..."

The sadness in her voice surprised him. Normally she didn't like to show her feelings, and, you know, it was extremely disturbing to feel the sadness in her voice. Sweeney didn't like it one bit.

"It's over. I'm here for you." He spoke. "Got it?"

The baker nodded and closed her eyes. She seemed sleepy and didn't take long to fall asleep. The barber watched her until he fell asleep.

* * *

It was almost seven o'clock when they finally decided to go out for dinner. There was a new restaurant in town and Eleanor really wanted to go there. Toby and Sweeney were in the living room, both ready to go. But women don't get dressed so easily.

"Why do women take so long to get ready?" Toby asked. Sweeney smiled a bit. "We're not going to a party!"

"But we'll go out and a woman cannot go out with something inappropriate."

They both looked at her and their eyes widened.

"Mom, you took two hours to choose a dress?"

Eleanor put her hands on her hips.

"What's wrong with that?" She asked. "Don't I look good?"

Toby blushed a bit.

"Y-yes, but... You're already beautiful, Mom. Don't need all this."

Eleanor smiled at her son and then she looked at the barber. An uncomfortable silence. She didn't know what to say and he... He didn't want to say anything anyway. He just stood there, staring at her.

"You think it's too fancy?" Eleanor asked quickly. "Because if it is, I can...".

"No, it's not it, is that..." He tried to suppress a smile. "It's a very pretty dress."

Her expression softened considerably.

"Thank you."

When the barber, the baker and the boy arrived at the restaurant, almost everyone there looked at them. Eleanor felt her cheeks blushing as Toby hid behind her skirt, frightened by all these people looking at them. Sweeney put an arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek, making her giggle.

After that night, Eleanor never heard any nasty comments from anyone else.

* * *

**Gossips are cruel things. Especially at that time, the 19th century. (Sigh) Hope you enjoyed.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I really enjoy writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading.**

* * *

Over time, the snowflakes began to fall. The fifth month began. The baker slept and felt hungrier than before. It was not uncommon to her husband to find her asleep in the afternoon, or during the night, around three in the morning, he woke up alone in bed and when he stood up desperate to find her, he saw her sitting by the fire, eating chocolate with fruits. Sweeney did not bother her, he knew it was all because of her pregnancy, then he watched her from afar, sitting next to her soon after, and unable to resist, he devoured her mouth covered in chocolate.

The most striking of the changes was when she felt her baby for the first time in her belly. She was lying on her bed on a Saturday morning, drinking some tea and reading a book. Suddenly, she felt something move just below her navel. However, the baker did not think it was her child, and then she went back to reading. After a while, she felt tired and went back to sleep, snuggling against the barber's chest, who instinctively wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer. He was asleep by her side.

She opened her eyes, however, when she felt another movement. She laid on her back and touched her belly, paying attention. Her eyes widened when she felt something very evident. It seemed like a flapping of a butterfly's wings, she didn't know how to describe it. With tears in her eyes, she touched her husband on the shoulder. Sweeney awoke immediately and looked at her with concern.

"What?" He asked.

She took one of his hands, resting it on her belly. The barber did not understand at first, but when he felt something move, he looked at his wife.

"The baby?" She nodded, and now tears fell down her red cheeks. And then she felt cold fingers in her face, wiping her tears. "Tears of joy, pet?" He smiled slightly.

She smiled even more, almost laughing. She was very happy. Very happy.

And so was he.

* * *

Mr. Sweeney Todd walked hurriedly through the snowy streets. The barber decided to go to the marketplace. He had a lot of money in his pocket and he hoped it was enough to buy what he wanted. He knew - or at least thought - that his wife would like to win a Christmas gift. Sweeney didn't know if she would like his gift, but he hoped she did.

When he returned to Fleet Street, Sweeney hid the white box in his barbershop and went back downstairs, to his room, finding his wife as he thought he would.

He smiled a bit.

Eleanor was drying her red hair with a towel. Her hair was wet, as well as some parts of her body, which was covered with a white towel. Suddenly, she walked over to the wardrobe and took out a red and black dress, putting it on the bed.

The barber stood there looking at her while she dressed. He could not help but smile to see red and purple marks on her neck and arms, something that made him feel proud of his actions. He also saw how she smiled when she touched these red and purple marks on her body, surely remembering about last night.

Everything changed, however, when she snorted, unable to button the back of her dress.

"Want some help?"

The baker jumped, she was startled to see that she was not alone in her bedroom.

"Mr. T!" She exclaimed.

The barber sighed.

"Are you alright, pet?"

Eleanor blushed.

"I…" She swallowed hard. "You gave me a fright, dear."

He shook his head.

"You should not be so unprepared. Anyone could have come here and have caught you off guard." He paused for a moment, analyzing what he had said and then, he sighed. "I would not be here to protect you, pet."

She took a breath and then, she apologized. The barber approached her and gave her a small kiss on the lips, making her smile a bit.

"Want me to help you?"

She nodded, turning her back so he could close the buttons of her dress. The touch of his cold fingers with the warm skin of her back made her shiver slightly. When the last button was put in place, the baker turned and smiled at him.

"Thank you."

It occurred to her then, suddenly, the courage to kiss him on the cheek. When she faced him again, however, she blushed and looked down, feeling ashamed by the way he looked at her. It seemed more intense than before, although it was very familiar. That's why she blushed. He just stared at her like that when she was naked. Not that there was a problem with that, I mean, he had seen her naked body several times, but, all those times, Eleanor knew why he was staring at her so intensely. Now, well, she was not naked and she had no idea why he was staring at her like that.

Soon after, she felt two fingers lifting her chin, making her look at him, and then, cold lips kissing hers. She felt herself melting, receiving such sweet caress, and, without hesitation, she put her hands on his strong shoulders, sighing slightly. His hands also moved and while his right hand stopped on her small back, pulling her closer to him, his left hand rested on her belly, caressing it gently.

He had to frown, however, to felt her move away from him.

"What?" He asked in a very low voice.

Eleanor giggled.

"He's kicking." She murmured. "At the moment you touched my belly... He kicked. Odd, isn't it?"

The barber looked at her swollen belly, still frowning, and then, feeling the baby kick again, he smiled softly.

"He knows that his father is here."

He looked at her and frowned to see her eyes. The baker looked surprise by his words, this because it was the first time he spoke so openly about his paternity. It was nice to know he wanted this child as much as her and that, perhaps, things were really working between them.

Feeling happy, she brought his face close to hers and kissed him on the lips. She felt him sigh against her lips and then their tongues began to fight for air. When they parted, minutes later, they were both panting, but while the baker smiled, the barber had a serious expression.

As usual...

"Do you want a boy or a girl?"

That question took her by surprise, but by the curious look he carried, she knew she should answer that question.

"It doesn't matter. Just needs to be healthy." Her answer seemed to satisfy him because he just nodded. "What about you?"

"Same as you." He kissed her lips again.

The barber then sat on his bed as he watched his wife tie her hair in a simple bun. Her hair was not that curly anymore, it was easier to tie now.

"Can I ask you something, love?"

He frowned at her insecure tone of voice.

"Yes."

And he was even more worried when she sighed heavily, and turned to face him, not daring to approach him again. He saw her look down, clearly not wanting to look into his eyes.

"Do you promise you will not get mad at me?" She asked.

He frowned, not understanding this question.

"Why would I get mad at-...?

"Promise me." She cut him off, looking at him, showing her insecure eyes.

This time, he reached out a hand, motioning for her to come to him. Swallowing hard, she obeyed, taking his hand between hers.

"So?" He asked after a while.

Now he could tell she was nervous.

"I... I was thinking..." She looked at her hands and, without realizing it, started playing with the golden ring on her finger. "Is that... Well, I..."

He raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Eleanor swallowed hard.

"Tomorrow... It will be Christmas Eve and, well, it's a very important day." She paused for a moment. "A few months ago... Toby asked me what Christmas was. I realize then that this will be his first Christmas and... Well..."

"His first Christmas?" The barber asked puzzled.

She nodded.

"Yes..." She sighed. "He never had the chance to celebrate before. That stupid Italian never allowed..."

"And why are you telling me this, love?" His voice had no emotion, being extremely strange to hear him call her "love."

Soon, she looked at him and said:

"Well, it had been a while since Toby came to live with me and... I feel a great affection for him. He is my son and... Well, I thought... If you would mind if we... If we..."

"Adopt him." He finished.

Eleanor nodded.

"I don't want to force you to do this..." She looked down. "But I really love him and I want him to be part of my family... Of course that, well, you don't need to be a father to him, just need to sign the adoption papers... I would sign the adoption papers if I could, but a woman cannot adopt a child..." She explained. "Only a man can do this..."

And after all that, all he could do was sigh heavily. That woman... She could annoy him without even realizing it, especially when speaking with that tone of voice, when she lowered her head and looked at him that way with her big brown eyes... It was like a child asking for something, or trying to justify something she did...

Of course he knew the boy was important to her. He knew the boy loved her like she was his mother. And he knew that when the baby was born, the boy would feel a bit excluded, since he would not be Tobias Todd, but Tobias Ragg, and therefore, he would not feel part of the family.

Yeah, it was time to do the right thing.

"Let's adopt him."

Her eyes widened a bit.

"What?" The barber frowned at her expression. She seemed very surprised. "What did you say...?"

"Let's adopt the boy."

Eleanor's eyes did not change, and she said nothing for a few minutes.

"Are you serious?" She asked slowly. The barber nodded.

Eleanor didn't know what to do. She looked into his eyes, trying to see if she could not find anything wrong there. Maybe it was one of his epiphanies, maybe he was not thinking.

"Oh, God, you're serious..." She murmured.

Sweeney sighed.

"Yes, I am." He said.

Happy, she grabbed his face with her hands.

"Oh, Sweeney..." She gave him a kiss on the lips. "Thank you! Thank you very much!"

He smiled and pulled her by the waist, sitting her on his lap. Before she could protest, he kissed her lips, feeling her little fingers caressing his cheeks soon after.

"It will be the perfect Christmas gift!" She smiled happily. "Thanks, love."

He took two seconds to answer:

"You're welcome, pet."

She kissed him on the cheek.

"Where's the boy?" He asked.

"He's sleeping in his friend's house. Only come back this afternoon. He'll be so happy with the news..." She ran her fingers through his gray hair and smiled slightly. "What do you want to win this Christmas, dear?"

He looked into her eyes for a few minutes, and without thinking, he gave her a peck on the lips.

"Nothing." When she was about to protest, he added: "Don't insist."

She sighed when she heard him say that, after all, she really wanted to buy him something special. After a few seconds, she finally said:

"Fine then..."

He just smiled at her.

* * *

People still stared at them as they passed, but most of them didn't dare to say anything. They just watched them. Since that fateful gossip day, the baker and the barber had a very serious talk. After two hours of conversation and a few kisses, the baker finally decided to close her Pie Shop definitely. Why? First because she was pregnant and after the baby was born she would have to give up all her time to care for her child. Stop working wasn't going to be an option. It would be a need. Second because she really didn't want to hear nasty comments from other people, even though that, after that nice dinner at the new restaurant in town, no one dared to say anything else about the baker of Fleet Street, better known now as 'Mrs. Todd' or 'the barber's wife'. And even not wanting to look at some people, Eleanor decided to open her Pie Shop for a last day, putting in front of the place a sign with the words 'Eat here before we close forever!'

To her happiness, almost half of London decided to eat on her Pie Shop, and all costumers were very polite. Some of them even made jokes, things like:

_"That's not fair, Mrs. Todd." One gentleman said. "We need these pies!"_

Eleanor heard this and laughed, thinking of the things that some of her customers had said about her husband being selfish or something.

This happened a month ago, and to be honest, she didn't miss her work as she thought she would. Now she had time for many other things, like teaching Toby how to write, or even knitting baby clothes. She visited old friends too...

_"So, you finally remembered that there is someone in this town who likes you!" Samantha, an old friend, exclaimed. "The priest told me about your wedding! Not to mention all the gossip!" Eleanor tried to say something, but Samantha cut her off. "And you're pregnant! I can't believe you didn't tell me!"_

_Eleanor sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. It was not like I planned."_

_Samantha sighed and took her friend's hands. "Yes, I know..." She smiled. "Now sit down and tell me how you managed to marry the best barber in all London."_

Now, about what to do with the empty space left for the Pie Shop, Eleanor had no idea. She thought about renting to an old friend, Mr. George Khan, but Sweeney didn't like one bit...

_"Sweeney, can you listen to me, please?" She placed her hands on her hips, a sign of irritation._

_The barber snorted and looked at her._

_"I said no." He grunted._

_"But-..."_

_"No." He approached her dangerously. "I don't trust him."_

_She raised an eyebrow._

_"Why not?"_

_His eyes seemed incredulous._

_"Didn't you notice the way he looks at you?" And the baker would have said something if the barber had not pressed her against the wall and then kissed her lips passionately. They spoke no more that night._

Remembering this, Eleanor felt her cheeks burn. Looking at her husband, who was looking through the windows of a store, she sighed. They had not spoken again about renting the empty space in her home, but she had the impression that it would not be easy to convince him to accept the idea. Even if she were the owner of the place, she did not want her husband to get mad at her. For some reason, Sweeney didn't like Mr. Khan and Eleanor would like to know why.

It was frustrating not knowing what was going on in that man's head.

She touched his shoulder, but he seemed too distracted to notice it. Then she kissed him on the cheek, causing him to look at her suspiciously.

"What?"

"Are you alright?" She asked with a smile.

Sweeney gave her a short kiss on the lips.

"I'm fine." He put his arm around her waist and both returned to walk through the city center. "We have the adoption papers. Want something else?"

She sighed.

"I thought about going into a toy store, but I already bought toys for him." She looked around. "I have to meet Toby at his friends' house. You can go home if you want."

He pulled her closer to him, if that were possible.

"I'll go with you."

"Really? 's a formal visit. The boy's mother may want us to stay there, having tea or something."

"I'll go with you." He repeated those words, his voice sounded more serious than ever.

Smiling at him, she said:

"All right."

* * *

It was nearly ten o'clock when Eleanor decided to serve a small dinner for husband, her son and herself. The food was typical: a traditional toast turkey, potatoes, fresh bread, in the end, the classic Christmas pudding.

The baker didn't know how she remembered so many different recipes, for a long time she had not celebrate Christmas, but she was pleased with the result, since her husband and her son ate the food happily. It was funny because they ate like there was no tomorrow. She also liked it, but felt a little sick when she ate the pudding, despite being delicious.

After making sure that all Toby's gifts were hidden, Eleanor 'forced' him to take a bath and go to bed.

"But, Mom! If I sleep I will not see Santa Claus!" The boy said.

Eleanor shook her head and put two blankets over the boy. The night was very cold today.

"Santa Claus will only come if you sleep, dear. That's the rule."

"But-..."

She put two fingers on his lips.

"Hush now." She stroked his cheek. "Sleep."

Toby sighed and rested his head on the pillow.

"I still think I should wait for him." He muttered. "What if I don't like my gifts?" Eleanor laughed at that. "It's not funny, Mom. I'm serious!"

She stroked his brown hair.

"Santa knows what you like, Toby. And I'm sure he will bring you wonderful things."

The boy nodded.

"Did you prepare the cookies and milk for him? Near the fireplace?"

"Yes, dear. We cannot have someone so important in our house without leaving him something to eat, right?" The boy nodded again. "Great. Now sleep." She kissed his forehead.

"Mom?" She looked at him. "Can you stay here with me until I fall asleep?"

She lay in bed and hugged him.

"Sure, dear."

He closed his eyes and rested his head on her chest.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

She heard him sigh and say:

"I love you."

Her heart was filled with joy. The joy of hearing that phrase from someone for the first time in her life was almost indescribable, and it was better than she ever imagined.

"I love you too, sweetheart." She replied and kissed his forehead.

Before long, the boy, wrapped by the warmth of his mom, fell into a deeper sleep.

* * *

Early in the morning, to feel a chill run through his body, the barber sighed unhappy, and reached out to hug the woman at his side. But the bed was empty. Sweeney opened his eyes and sat up in bed. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked to where he was. He could not remember much, just kisses, touches and caresses, and that made him smile. But not having someone to be able to hug made his smile fade. Then he remembered: It was Christmas. He tossed the sheets aside, got dressed and went to the kitchen.

Eleanor had her back to him, preparing the table for breakfast. She cut the bread while humming a song he didn't know.

"Do you want something, dear?" She asked, without looking at him.

The barber opened his mouth a few times, but did not know what to say.

"How long did you know I was here?" He asked after a few seconds.

She laughed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, still not looking at him.

"I was alone in our bed." He approached her, put his hands around her waist and started kissing her neck, making her sigh. "I should be there with me..." Sweeney touched her belly and felt the baby kick. That made him smile. "Shouldn't you wake the boy?"

Eleanor kissed his lips and went to Toby's room. She opened the door and cautiously approached her son, who was sleeping peacefully.

"Toby, dear, wake up." Eleanor murmured, stroking his brown hair. It didn't take long for him to open his eyes and look at his mom. "Good morning, dear."

"Good morning, Mom." Toby rubbed his eyes and yawned. "What happened?"

"It's Christmas, dear." She murmured. "There are many gifts for you on the tree...".

"Really?" Toby asked cheerfully.

Eleanor smiled.

"Yes, but first let's get up and have breakfast."

The boy stood up and ran out of the room. Half an hour later, after opening a half dozen gifts - toys and clothes - Eleanor took an envelope, sat on the couch next to her husband and her son, and said:

"Merry Christmas, dear. It's a gift from me and Mr. Todd."

Toby was surprised to learn that Mr. Todd was giving him something, but he said nothing about it. He frowned, however, when he saw that his gift was only documents.

The boy looked at his mother questioningly.

"Read it." She said.

The boy swallowed hard and began to read the document, his eyes widening as he read the words "Adoption" and "Tobias Joseph Todd."

At first, he didn't seem to believe and looked at his mom, who offered him a small smile.

"Want to be part of our family?" She asked.

The smile he gave her was the most beautiful thing she had seen in a long, long time.

"Yes!" He exclaimed. To feel his little eyes filling with tears, the boy wiped them with his little hands. His eyes showed a joy she had not seen before.

"Oh, my little boy..." She hugged him gently, feeling how he put his little arms around her and cried. The baker stroked his hair and kissed his cheek, trying to find the right words. "You're mine now and no one will take you away from me. No one."

"Thanks, Mom." He said and looked at the barber, completely changing the tone of his voice. "Thanks, sir."

Sweeney just nodded.

"Can you hold this for me?" Toby asked his mom, who looked at him confused. "I'll be right back. I'll get your gift, Mom." The boy went to his room. He ran back 10 seconds later with a package in his hands. Eleanor kissed his cheek and opened her gift: a box of chocolates.

"I know it's simple, but..." The boy stared at the floor embarrassed. "It was all that I could buy."

Eleanor took the boy's face and made him look at her. She couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, Toby. Merry Christmas." She kissed him on the cheek again.

He smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Mom."

* * *

Late at night...

"What about my gift?" She asked as she closed the door with some difficulty.

He stopped kissing her neck and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She seemed anxious and curious.

"The bed, my love."

And there it was, she was too distracted by his kisses to notice the box on her bed. It was a beautiful white box with a red ribbon. Eleanor sat on the bed, placing the box on her lap. She looked at the box for a moment and then she looked at the barber, who was standing in front of her, hands in his pockets, a serious expression on his face.

"You really didn't have to spend your money on me." She said. "Look at this box. So beautiful...".

"And that's a problem for you?" He asked after a while, looking confused.

She laughed.

"No, it's just..." She sighed. "I'm not used to receiving gifts."

"Get used to it now." He said impatiently. "Open it."

In one breath, she undid the red ribbon and opened the box. It was the most beautiful nightdress she'd ever seen, made of a very thin and soft fabric. The baker said nothing and looked at the nightdress, touching it with her fingertips. She smiled a bit.

"It's beautiful..." She looked at her husband. "Thank you."

He took a few seconds to realize what she had said, and when he did, he smiled.

"Why a nightdress?" She asked, watching as he sat beside her on the bed.

The barber smiled and began nuzzle her neck.

"I owed you a nightdress since our wedding night."

As she blushed, she felt him smile against her skin, and it did not take long for him to open his mouth and began to suck the skin of her neck.

"Let me see you on it." He murmured.

She sighed.

"Do you really want me to do this now?" She asked. She took his face and kissed him passionately on the lips. "We can do other interesting..." She gasped to feel him biting her lower lip. "Things..."

But he was stubborn.

"It's an excuse for me to take your clothes off, don't you see?"

She laughed.

However, when the baker stood in front of him and started undoing the laces of the dress she wore, the barber swallowed hard. When the dress fell to the ground, he pulled her by the waist and gave her a small kiss on her swollen belly, making her sigh and stroke his gray hair. With no hesitation, he took off the other clothes she wore, throwing them on the floor, along with her dress, leaving her completely naked.

That's when he discovered that, even his wife being beautiful wearing dresses and nightdresses, he really preferred her without any clothes.

* * *

******A/N: **Reviews, please!


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, guys!**

**Here's another chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

One of the things we can be sure about the barber of Fleet Street is that he is an extremely possessive man. You didn't need to know him very well to realize. Just need to see how angry he got when he saw his wife - now six months pregnant - talking happily to another man.

But there was no other man who can more annoy the barber than Mr. George Khan. You may have noticed, as in previous chapters I told you, that, well, Mr. Khan wanted a place in Fleet Street to open his bakery.

_"George, this is my husband, Sweeney Todd." She grabbed her husband's hand. "Sweeney, this is my friend, Mr. George Khan."_

And at the moment the barber laid his eyes on that _bloody_ man, he saw it wasn't the place he wanted. Yeah, Mr. Khan was in love with Eleanor Todd. But, you know, Eleanor already had a husband and her husband didn't like one iota of the idea of having another man loving his wife.

Today, however, things worsened.

It all started on a Thursday morning, extremely cold because of the falling snow. Mr. George Khan, black hair and green eyes, knocked on the door, and Eleanor asked him to come in. The man kissed her hand and went into the house, taking off his coat and hat. Soon after, he handed her a bouquet of flowers, which Eleanor accepted gladly.

Sweeney, who was in the kitchen, stood up and walked over to the two, not liking a bit of that situation.

Mr. Khan tried to be friendly; he said "Hello" and forced a smile. The barber's expression remained serious and he raised an eyebrow when he saw that _bloody_ man touching _his_ wife's arm. The barber could see the way Mr. Khan looked at his wife, such tenderness.

He growled.

Even Toby liked this man. Apparently the boy saw nothing wrong with Mr. Khan; he was just a businessman who wanted a good place to open a bakery. But Sweeney would not accept their friendship so easily. It was not that he did not want his wife to had friends. It was good that she had someone to talk to. But he just couldn't like her friendship with George Khan.

What worsened everything, by the way, was that Eleanor enjoyed Mr. Khan's presence, and every time he visited her, they spent hours talking.

Today was a bit different.

"Mr. Todd, your wife told me that you are a bit reluctant to accept my idea of renting this place. But I assure you both that you will make much money from it, I swear. When I open my bakery here..."

"You will not open anything here." The barber said coldly.

"But-..."

"No."

"Gentlemen, please." Eleanor stood between her husband and her friend. "I think we can settle this in a civilized way, right?"

The two men looked at her and then, they looked at each other.

"We will not rent this place." He said. "You'd better go."

"Sweeney, you can not..."

"No, Nell-... Mrs. Todd.'s Okay." Mr. Khan looked at the barber. "It's your final word?" The barber did not move and Mr. Khan just sighed. He knew he had lost that war. "Very well..." He took his hat and coat. "I better go."

"What? No, George, please." Eleanor touched his arm. "You had some news to tell me, right? Why don't you stay for lunch?"

The moment the baker said this, the barber could see the smile Mr. Khan gave her and it made his blood boil in a way he had never felt before.

"Enjoy your lunch." The barber said sarcastically and left the living room.

Eleanor raised her eyebrows in surprise and stared at her friend, who laughed a bit.

"George... I'm so sorry..."

"Don't worry. Just go and talk to him. He's your husband, after all." He sighed. "I'll find another place."

The baker nodded and followed him to the door.

"I'm confused." She said. "I don't know what got into him. In recent months he had been such an different person, he's always so kind with me..." She sighed. "I thought he had changed..."

Mr. Khan chuckled.

"Maybe he changed, Nellie." The baker looked at him confused. "Bye." He kissed her hand and then walked away.

The baker stood there, still confused. She then looked at the barbershop and heard a strong noise, as if something had been thrown against the wall.

She sighed. It was better to wait for him to calm down.

* * *

"Dad, dinner's ready."

Sweeney did not want to talk to his wife now, but he knew he should, so he closed his barbershop and went to the kitchen.

He sat at the table and watched as her cheeks were red.

"It's hot in here, huh?"

"It's snowing, Mom." Toby sat at the table.

She shrugged.

"Well, for me it's too hot."

She had made a vegetable soup. She grabbed a plate and served her son. Then she took another plate and began to serve her husband, being prevented by him, who said:

"Let me do that." He took the ladle from her hand. "Sit down and eat."

Then she sighed.

The dinner was practically the boy telling about his day while Eleanor laughed and the barber eating his soup without saying word. One time or another, their eyes met and the barber frowned upon seeing his wife smiling slightly. Or she was not mad at him or something had happened.

But what?

One hour later, the boy fell asleep on the couch and Sweeney put him in bed. Back to the kitchen, he found his wife washing the dishes. He approached her in silent footsteps and took her hands with his.

"Your skin is hot... Are you okay?"

She smiled slightly.

"It's my pregnancy... The doctor said it's normal that I feel a lot of heat." She sighed. "And are _you_ okay?"

He kissed her on the cheek, hearing her sigh.

"Come to bed with me..."

Eleanor wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and, resting her hands at the kitchen sink, stared at her husband with a curious expression.

"Only if you explain what happened today..." She said. "Why do you hate George? I just can't underst-..."

It was then that she realized what she was saying. He was Sweeney Todd. He didn't need a reason to hate someone. Even then, Eleanor didn't understand her husband's behaviour. She looked into his eyes to find something, but he refused to look at her, so she found nothing.

"Look at me, love."

He did, and then, he sighed. Today things were so different between them. They had their fights - like any normal couple -, but after a few kisses they made amends. Today, well, he was not so sure that they could do that too.

"I don't trust him."

He saw her give him a suspicious look, but all he could do was returning his gaze into nothingness. He just did not want to look at her eyes at that moment.

"You already told me that, dear. A couple of times..." She cupped his face. "But _why_?"

The barber took her wrists and pulled her hands from his face.

"You talk a lot with him..." He whispered. "Why did you two have to talk so much...?"

Eleanor frowned slightly. She would be probably mad, but there was a bit of jealousy in his words. Soon she shook her head. She knew he would never be jealous of her; her head was just playing with her feelings. He could have given them a chance, but it would be too early to feel jealous.

But about one thing he was right: she and Mr. Khan talked much, Eleanor felt very comfortable when she was talking with him.

"Why have you never told me about him?"

She laughed softly.

"Well, love, that's because you never asked me before." She said with a smile.

He frowned for a moment.

"It's my fault now?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"No."

"Then what?" Now he seemed angry. "Do you deny that he always finds a way to come see you?" He stepped forward and his glare made her feel a little scared, and trying to protect herself, she took a step back, feeling trapped by him. Again.

"Sweeney..."

"Do you deny that you like to talk for hours with him?" He took her by the shoulders. "Do you deny that he asked you to marry him a few years ago?" She just shook her head. "So why blame me?"

"I'm not blaming you, dear." She touched his face, looking into his black eyes. "I'm just saying that if you want to know something about me, you'll have to ask me. Don't expect me to tell you. I'm not like this and I also know you don't like to talk much..."

He was silent for a moment.

"So if we start having conversations, you will stop meeting him here at home...?"

She raised an eyebrow, amused by the look he gave her. It was clear that he was jealous of her. But she knew he would never admit it. However, she was happy to see that he really cared about her.

"He's my friend. I will not stop to see him just because you want to." When he snorted, she put both hands on his chest and gave him a peck on the lips. "I don't want you to be someone you are not..." She smiled. "Who you are it's enough to me, dear."

"But he may still want you." He said. "I can't let him-..."

His voice trailed off, and then he sighed and looked away, feeling extremely tired of all this. He just didn't know what he would do if he lose her... When he turned his gaze to his wife, however, he could see that something in her expression changed. She looked confused.

"You..." She paused for a moment. "You think I'd leave you for him?"

He looked at her and muttered:

"You'd have your reasons."

She sighed.

"So is that what are you afraid of?" She asked. "It's not going to happen. You know very well I couldn't leave you."

She saw him frown in annoyance.

"Feel so sorry for me, my pet?" He asked seriously.

She shook her head.

"I love you."

Only when they were making lov-... having sex she said those three little words.

And he never told her the same, he just kissed her and she felt more kindly in his movements. If she felt sad about it? No, she knew I would not hear "I love you" from him so soon. Perhaps she would never hear, and she did not worry too much. She had him, could enjoy his kisses any time she wanted, there was a baby in her belly and it was enough for her.

_For now..._

She then kissed him lightly on the lips, feeling him sighing against her mouth.

"I'll not lose you..."

The barker's eyes widened at her husband's words. It was unusual for him to say things like that. But nothing, I repeat, nothing of what he said before was able to surprise her more than he came to sing to her:

_"Let's live by the sea, Mrs. Todd, this's not the life you covet?_

_By the sea, Mrs. Todd, ooh, I know you'd love it._

_You and me, my dear, we could be alone_

_In a house wot we'd almost own,  
_

_Down by the sea..."_

She was silent for a few seconds, processing what he had offered her.

"All this just to see me away from Mr. Khan?" She asked with a smile.

The barber grunted.

"Anything to see you away from him." He whispered. "Anything."

* * *

Ironic was to say that Mr. Khan helped them in the end. The deal was simple: Eleanor would give him the deed to her house in London - and some money - and he would give her the deed of a nice house he had in Brighton.

Unfortunately for the barber, Mr. Khan had to visit Eleanor to address the roles and it always resulted in long conversations. Even if the baker had convinced her husband that Mr. Khan and her were just friends, the barber still didn't feel very comfortable about that "bloody man", as he used to say.

After two weeks, the home of Fleet Street was almost empty - some furniture was sold and others were already in Brighton - and then, in a very nice Tuesday's morning, the barber, the baker and the boy were finally ready to leave London.

"By the sea..." Eleanor sighed.

It was odd to think that she had sung and dreamed so much about the sea, but only had been there once, when she was just little girl. But it was enough to fascinate her. Eleanor walked through that old house, seeing as it seemed bigger now that there was no furniture there. She lived good and bad moments there - most bad than good -, and, to be honest, she was happy to leave.

The only thing that worried her was her husband. She did not know how he would work as a barber in Brighton, but Mr. Khan had said that Brighton needed good barbers, so Sweeney Todd will have no trouble in making a good name.

Not to mention that there was an extra room upstairs that they could use as a temporary barbershop...

She heard footsteps upstairs. She would go there if her belly was not that big.

"You're a very big baby, you know..." She touched her swollen belly.

She needed to find a good midwife too. Someone she could trust. There was also Toby's room and even the baby's crib. She did not know whether to buy pink or blue, how to tell if it's a boy or girl? She sighed. She needed to make so many adjustments in her life that she did not even know where to start.

She felt her baby kick twice and smiled.

"Yeah, I know you're here, dear."

"Who?"

She jumped. She just hated when he did that, frightened her that way, always walked in slow steps so she did not realize when he was there with her.

Sighing, she turned to face him.

"Would you stop doing that? You gave me a fright!" She exclaimed.

He smiled slightly.

"The carriage's here." He whispered.

She sighed.

"You sure you want to do this?" She asked for the umpteenth time that day. "You didn't seem like the sea the first time I proposed the idea...".

_"Down by the sea!"_

_"Anything you say..."_

Sweeney frowned slightly as he remembered when his wife had sung about the sea. He was not in a good mood that day. He's never been in a good mood while the judge was alive. He just couldn't.

"Anything to see you away from him." He said with a smirk.

Eleanor raised an eyebrow.

"Jealous, love?" She dared to ask him.

He smiled slightly at her, because he also knew what she wanted to know and what she was thinking about all this.

"The coachman must have put the bags in the carriage." He approached and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Come."

Seeing him leave, she sighed. She'd give anything to know what king of thoughts he had.

* * *

Their house - with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a fireplace, a balcony, and an extra room upstairs - was located beachfront, being easy to get to the beach, not much frequented by the locals at the time of the year.

There was no trace of impurity. You can walk and feel the icy water covering your feet, while the wind hit your face and looking back, you can see that your footprints are erased by these same waves that falls continuously. It was like nothing else in the world was so beautiful, but it was not perfect, because perfect is just a child laughing after seeing a bird flying into his bedroom in the morning. The rest do not exist because nothing else matters.

Only the sea…

"Come on, Mom! Come on, Dad!"

Toby was running on the beach, regardless of the cold, laughing.

"Toby! Go put on a coat!" The barber cried and returned his gaze to the woman by his side. "You should not be here. It's really cold today."

Eleanor laughed.

"Just five more minutes, Mr. T!" She breathed deeply. She could smell the salt of the water. Everything was as she remembered. The most beautiful place she had ever seen.

Sweeney sighed and put his hands in his pockets, watching how his wife looked like a child, just like Toby, who had put on his coat, but continued to run.

"This place is amazing, Mom!" The boy said happily.

Eleanor smiled at him and looked at the horizon, many memories in her mind right now.

_"Ooh, Mr. Todd! I'm so happy!"_

_"Don't you love the weather?"_

_"To the seaside!"_

_"What a beautiful sea!"_

Yes.

Life was beautiful indeed.

* * *

**Special thanks to "Redejeka". Your review gave me the idea to this chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, guys! I'm so tired... Almost have not slept lately, so many books to read. But anyway, here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

She was laying on her back, her chest moving slowly, her lips were parted, one hand resting on her swollen belly while the other was lying next to her face, and though her skin is pale, her cheeks were a bit red. The black circles under her eyes had disappeared, she was so peaceful, so happy... So lovely.

The barber was lying on his side, his head resting on his hand, and his black eyes were running through his wife's body, paying attention to every move she made. A small smile appeared on his lips. It was a lovely sight. She was wearing that nightdress he had given her for Christmas. But the most interesting thing was the fact that she was also wearing one of his white shirts, over her nightdress. Her excuse was because she loved his smell and wear his shirt made her feel calmer and safer. He was surprised at first, but after seeing how lovely she was, he simply smiled.

"Mr. T..."

She used to whisper his name in her sleep; it was something he had noticed some time ago. She also murmured other things: "_Toby, my dear..._" and then "_Two more meat pies, please..._", but that didn't change what he felt for her. He didn't know the perfect word to describe what he felt every time he watched his sleeping wife. Maybe "joy" was the appropriate word. It was like what the young Benjamin Barker felt for Lucy when he saw her for the first time, but it was stronger, more powerful. It was different, too, in some sense. The barber did not feel his heart race. He felt calm, peaceful, as if no worries or bad memories were plaguing his mind. It was strange to say this, but with Eleanor, he was happy, because she did everything to make him happy, he could see it. She was always there, comforting him, smiling at smile, holding his hand, and she always knew if there was something troubling him. And that was what made him so curious about her. How could she know so much about him? This woman was a wonder. _His_ wonder.

He then put a lock of red hair behind her ear. She twitched her little nose slightly, sighed and turned her head to the other side, still soundly asleep.

"Mr. T..."

The barber smiled again. He didn't remember seeing so lovely creature in his life. He then leaned over and breathed the scent of her skin; his nose nuzzled her right cheek while his hand rested on her swollen belly. Feeling his baby kick, he sighed and kissed his wife's cheek. How could he thank her for such gift? A child was something so precious that he didn't know how to repay his wife. He knew she was happy now, living by the sea, without a Pie Shop to worry about, it was just her, Toby, the baby, _her_ barber, the house and the sea; she had no more worries on her mind; she was peaceful. But he knew it was not enough. She could tell him she was happy, but he knew that when he finally say "I love you", she would be the happiest woman in the world. The problem was that he did not feel ready to say how he felt and, well, he did not know if he could say "I love you". He liked her, he was grateful for all she did for him, but he did not know if it was "love." It was all very confusing for him.

And then the memories came back to his mind, tormenting him, Johanna, Lucy, Turpin, his life in Australia, the murders and all that blood. He shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to pull the bad memories away. It did not work. Looking at his wife, he leaned down and began to kiss her lips. That always worked when he wanted to forget his problems, when he wanted to relax and focus on his present, not his past. That's because that was what mattered now. His present. Hearing his wife moaning lightly, he deepened the kiss, feeling her little hands caressing his hair afterwards.

"Good morning, dear..." She whispered.

He did not answer her, he never did, he just kissed her again, and his lips seemed more agitated than normal, just like his hands, which were already beginning to undid the buttons of the white shirt she was wearing.

"Sweeney, love, wait-..." She was silenced with a kiss and then his lips began to explore her neck, licking, sucking and biting her skin.

Eleanor bit her lower lip, trying to hold back a moan. She just loved it when he woke her in the morning with kisses and caresses, but she knew something was wrong because she could feel that his hands were shaking. However, when he finally opened the white shirt she wore, pulled her nightdress down, showing her bare breasts, and began to suck her right nipple, she forgot what she wanted to say and then a moan escaped her mouth. This encouraged him to continue with his job, one of his cold hands started squeezing her left breast. Eleanor then sat up in bed, and took off his/her shirt, throwing it on the floor. Then she kissed her husband, who groaned against her mouth. He felt her little hands on the edge of his shirt, and no patience to undo those buttons; she lifted his shirt up and over his head, throwing it on the floor as well. She started kissing his bare chest, and then bit his neck, hearing him laugh.

"What's so funny?" She bit his neck again.

He cupped her face, looking into her eyes for long seconds before kissing her lips once more. He laid her on the bed and started taking off her nightdress, which was thrown on the floor a few seconds later. The barber bit her neck and started kissing her left breast, inserting it in his mouth, sucking her nipple. The baker arched her back as she felt him bite her breast; she tried to breathe, but it seemed more and more difficult now.

"You were talking again..." He started kissing her swollen belly, taking the opportunity to take off her underwear.

She sighed.

"Really?" She felt him kissing her lips again. "And what was I saying?

"My name..." He took off his pajama pants and his underwear. Then he began to kiss her collarbone. "What was your dream...?".

She frowned.

"I don't remember..."

He kissed her again, with more passion than before. Their lips moved in perfect sync, it was as if they could do this for years. The baker bit his lower lip, taking a groan from his throat, and then looked at his black eyes.

"I want you..." She whispered. "Now."

He swallowed hard, because that tone of voice was driving him crazy. But he knew he could not stay on top of her, he would lose control and hurt her and the baby if he did. Then he lay on his back and put his wife on the top. She began to ride him, up and down, slowly, as if she liked to tease him. And he loved it, even though he was about to explode.

"P-pet..."

She had never heard him stutter, but that did not stop her from moving faster, his strong chest was her support. She felt his big and cold hands began to caress her waist and then her belly. Before long, she let out a loud moan, her heart in her throat, feeling cold hands squeezing her breasts. In response, she dug her nails into his chest, giving him an incredibly painful and pleasurable feeling. She then increase the pace, closing her eyes, hearing only her husband's voice. His hands fell to her hips, helping her to move faster and faster and faster... Until he felt her inner walls squeezing him tightly, and then he closed his eyes and released his seed into her. She lay down beside him soon after, her head resting on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, sighing afterwards.

"Eleanor..." The baker raised her head and looked at him. He swallowed hard and was silent for a few seconds. "I... I care about you. Don't think I don't... Cause I do. I really care about you, the baby and Toby. You three are... Part of me."

She frowned slightly, not understanding why her husband was saying this, but in the end, she planted a shy kiss in the corner of his mouth, looking into his eyes soon after. Eleanor then bit her lip apprehensively, trying to think of something to say, but when she felt a kick from her baby, she could not help but giggle. She was her husband frowning, as if he was asking her what's going on.

"The baby."

He smiled a bit, and then he kissed her belly, turning to lay his head on her chest. Eleanor gasped, surprised by his attitude.

"Am I crushing you?"

She frowned, but then shook her head.

"No, it's okay..." She began to stroke his gray hair. "Are you okay, love?" She asked in a whisper, but he did not answer her. Sighing, she kissed his forehead. "You can talk to me if you want to..."

She heard him sigh and then he buried his head in the crook of her neck, making her shiver.

"Bad memories..."

He pulled away from her, but just to be able to kiss her lips. Eleanor then took his face and stared at his eyes. There were a lot of feelings there, some she knew and others she didn't, and she could tell that something was bothering him.

"Want to... Talk about it?" She asked uncertainly. He just shook his head, causing her to feel even more apprehensive. "You sure?" He nodded. "Very well then..." She kissed him again. She then sighed and yawned, resting her head on her husband's chest.

"It's already eight o'clock...?" The baker asked, looking at the clock on the bedside table. She looked at her husband. "We have to get up, you know? The Mass will begin at ten o'clock and you know that I need time to get ready, especially being with a swollen belly... ".

Sweeney closed his eyes.

"Do we really have to go?"

His childish tone made her laugh.

"It's a way to socialize with people here. The whole town will be there and I really want to go to that church..." She sighed. "And I also want to talk to the priest. To know if he knows a good midwife..." She kissed his bare chest. "And I have to prepare the breakfast ...". She heard him sighing deeply. "Oh, dear, don't be mad at me..." She looked at him. "Listen... I promise that tonight we will have many hours to... Repeat what we did a few minutes ago… ".

He smirked.

"My pet..." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "How I lived without you all these years I'll never know...".

* * *

St. Martin's Church reflected a style associated with the churches of the 13th century. The most striking exterior feature is its considerable height. The walls were made of brown bricks, but in some places there were also red. There were two doors, not so frightening like the church, made of a very dark wood. There were also lots of windows, a darkly glass, something quite unusual and, despite being a place made of melancholy colors, it was a very beautiful building.

Toby grabbed his mom's skirt; the poor boy looked scared with all those people. There were a lot of people there. The priest's sermon had begun, and people seemed to listen intently. The three sat in a pew next to the door, because there were almost no pews to sit. Three old women were sitting beside them - chaplet in hands -, black veils over their heads. Eleanor was also wearing a veil - but it was gray -, and, for some reason, these three old women stared at her suspiciously. Soon after, seeing her swollen belly, the three old women smiled at the baker and then turned their attention to the priest. Two hours later, the sermon had already finished.

The priest had white hair and beard, his eyes were green. He was old and seemed to be a good man.

Eleanor took her husband's and her son's hands and walked up to the priest, waiting for him to finish talking with two young girls - a blonde and a redhead - and then finally ask him about a midwife.

"Of course I'll be in your birthday, Ms. Davies." The priest said to the blonde girl. "It will be an honour."

Ms. Davies nodded.

"Thank you, Father. My family will wait for you. Goodbye." She kissed the priest's hand. "Your blessing, Father."

"God bless you, my children."

When her blue eyes saw that mysterious man, Ms. Davies felt her cheeks burning slightly, but a sincere smile appeared on her face. The girl beside her, her cousin, Ms. Lauren Walker, stared at Ms. Davies with curiosity and didn't fail to noticed that her cousin was staring at that mysterious man with a certain twinkle in her eyes. The barber, however, did not notice that Ms. Davies was there. The woman beside him did, and she smiled slightly for the two girls. Lauren smiled to the baker, and then pulled her cousin by the arm and led her away from there.

"I believe you are new around here..." said the priest.

"We just moved to town, Father. It's our first mass here." Eleanor said.

"Well, I'm glad to have come here. I'm Father Harris. Isaac Harris." He and the barber shook hands. "Your names?"

"Sweeney and Eleanor Todd." The barber said in a deep voice.

"And this young man is?" The priest looked at the boy.

Toby looked at his mum and then at the priest.

"Tobias Todd, sir."

The priest laughed.

"Such a polite child." He looked at the barber and the baker. "And how can I help you?"

Eleanor sighed.

"Well, it's a rather complicated matter, Father."

The priest frowned slightly, but noticing the swollen belly of the woman in front of him, he soon realized the fatigue that she was showing in her voice.

"You look tired, Mrs. Todd, I apologize for not having offered a place to sit before." He said. "Why do not we go to my office? We can talk more properly."

The fact that neither of them realized was that all the few people who were still in the church was staring at them curiously, wondering who would be that small family.

"He's beautiful." Christine Davies said to her cousin.

Lauren sighed.

"Yes, but he is married."

Christine shook her head.

"He can run away with me."

"Christine, did you lost your mind?" Lauren asked. "Do you really think he'd leave his pregnant wife and his son just to run away with you?"

Christine saw that mysterious man enter the sacristy along with the priest, a pregnant woman and a little boy. She smiled to herself.

"Yes."

* * *

"So, you want a midwife?" The priest asked.

"Yes, do you know any?" Eleanor said.

The priest smiled.

"Thank God, yes, there are many good midwives in this town!" He exclaimed happily. "Your little baby will be in good hands, do not worry. When it will be born?"

"In three months." Sweeney spoke for the first time in ten minutes of conversation. He was standing by the window, watching his wife and son, who were sitting in front of the priest, who, by chance, was smiling again.

"Well, this is very good. Children are gifts from God."

Eleanor smiled and stroked her swollen belly.

"For a long time I... I thought I would never have this opportunity." She sighed. "But better late than never."

The priest did not understand her words at first; he had thought the nine years old boy there was also her biological son. Soon he realized the boy was nothing like his father or his mother. However, by the minimal ethics that he had in his mind and heart, he decided not to comment on her speech.

"There's a doctor here in our city. His name is John Davies. He is the father of the young woman with blond hair I talked just now, Ms. Christine Davies." He said. "His wife, Mrs. Marie Davies, always helps him in his job; she is a very kind woman. I believe she would be an excellent midwife for you, Mrs. Todd. "He looked at the barber, who had approached them. "You seem nervous, Mr. Todd. Is everything okay?"

Eleanor looked at her husband for a moment. He was staring at an empty space, his brow furrowed.

"Yes." He replied coldly.

The priest turned his gaze to the baker.

"If you want, I can talk to Dr. Davies. I'm sure he will help you."

Eleanor nodded.

"Thank you, Father. I was really... Worried about it."

The priest smiled.

"You're welcome, Mrs. Todd."

The priest accompanied them to the door of the church and they departed. In five minutes they were at home, Toby ran and went to the kitchen and Eleanor took her husband's hand, making him to look at her. His distant gaze worried her.

"Are you okay, dear?" She touched his face; feeling how cold his skin was.

He kissed her lightly on the lips.

"I had a bad feeling." He murmured softly.

* * *

**I'm not Catholic, so I'm sorry if I said something wrong or stupid.**

**So... What do you think Ms. Christine Davies will do? She's well disguised. Her cousin Lauren, however, is a good person and she knows what her cousin is able to do when she wants something. Anyway, hope you enjoyed.**


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Sorry for the delay. I had many things to do. Hope you enjoy._

* * *

There was not too much he could say about that city, after all, the barber was living there for just a few weeks. The weather was cold as far as London. What comforted him was to have his wife by his side, making him feel _warm_ again, if you know what I mean.

And it was a good place; in fact, businesses were fine, customers and more customers every day. Not to mention that the men of the city did not praise his wife because, well, the baker was no longer working, no longer had to serve men in a pie shop and it made the barber feel safe. She took care of their son and the house and she seemed happy about it.

Strange - though exciting - was to see how peaceful that city was. There were almost no problems, people were apparently honest. Apparently, okay?

Alright, today - January 21, 1876 -, a pregnant woman finished making lunch in her house by the sea, waiting for her husband to finish his work and her son to finish his bath. That lamb on the oven looked bigger than she remembered. She was never very fond of lamb, but today she woke up with a great will to eat lamb with roasted potatoes. Then she 'asked' her husband to go to the market to buy the lamb and the potatoes. Luckily, Toby was with his father and helped him to choose the food, since the barber himself knew nothing about it.

The baker heard footsteps - the barbershop, as well as in London, was on the second floor of the house. Staring at the wooden clock on the wall of her living room - noon - she deduced that her husband had closed his barbershop for lunch. Eleanor sighed a little tired, sitting in a chair and touching her swollen belly. Just a few weeks had passed and her belly looked more swollen than ever. She did not know if this was normal, but her back was hurting and she felt sleepy and tired. She avoided hard work, but even by making lunch she felt tired. She didn't know what was happening to her, but hoped it was not serious. The priest had not had given her an answer about a midwife and a doctor. She just hoped he didn't take too long to do it.

"Mom, can you help me with my hair?"

She turned and saw Toby, dressed in clean clothes. She smiled at him and pulled him by the hand, took the towel that was in his hands and began to dry his hair. That boy fascinated her most of the time. He knew how to dry his hair, but preferred to his mom to do it for him. Any other boy would have done it by himself, saying he does not need anyone's help. Toby was different, he like to be treated like a little boy by his mom. That's because he had never had someone in his life, never had a family, never knew his biological mother, the thought of having a woman as loving as Eleanor Todd loving him as if he were her legitimate son made him love her more than anything.

He adored her. And she loved him very much.

When the baker finished drying his hair, she handed him the towel and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Can you help me to take the lamb from the oven, dear?"

"Sure, Mom."

She stood up, put a kitchen glove and asked her son to open the oven, hot as ever. She took a tray from inside - the roast lamb was there - and put it on the table, next to a strawberry apple she had made early. The whole kitchen was filled with a very nice smell, but Eleanor didn't seem okay with that.

"Mom, are you okay?" Toby asked worried.

She covered her mouth with her hand, feeling a very strong vertigo, it seemed that her stomach was full of butterflies and, for a moment, she thought she would throw up. Her skin was paler than it should and she closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

The baker pulled a chair and sat down, trying to breathe. She was about to faint. It was ironic that it was the lamb that made her sick. It happened a few times. She felt like eating something special and when she finally was ready to eat, her stomach got crazy, and she lost hunger. And she hated it. She hated to lose hunger so suddenly, hated the nausea, dizziness, vomiting and fainting.

"Pet?"

Her husband was standing at the door and was frowning. He looked at his son, who swallowed hard, and then he looked at his wife, who still was pale as a ghost. In one swift motion, he grabbed a wooden bucket and pulled out a chair, sitting in front of his wife. Then he put the bucket on her lap and said:

"Take a deep breath and try to relax." His voice was too calm.

"But I-..." She didn't finish. She threw up into the bucket.

Toby, seeing his mom in that state, soon picked up a wet cloth and placed against her forehead. This kind of event had happened a few times, the boy knew what to do. A wet cloth and a bucket were all that his mom needed to make the sickness go away.

Eleanor breathed deeply.

"I hate this." She snorted. "It's just so-..." She stopped, feeling the smell of the roast lamb on the kitchen table, and then she threw up in the bucket again. "Can we go to... Our room...? I don't want to... Feel the smell of this bloody lamb... So soon..."

The barber nodded.

"Can you walk?" She shook her head. "Alright then." He handed the bucket to the boy, who scowled.

"What do I do with _this_?"

"Clean it." He said. "Mommy needs to rest."

The boy nodded slightly and went out of the house, trying to get rid of that _bloody_ bucket. The barber then lifted his wife up and carried her to their bedroom. Placing her on the bed, the barber took her shoes and straightened the pillows so she could be very comfortable.

"Want some water?"

She nodded. When the barber went out the room to get some water, the boy came and sat on the bed.

"What did you do with the bucket?" She asked.

"I prefer not to answer, if you do not mind." He said shyly.

And then, Eleanor did something she did not think it was possible to do in that kind of situation:she laughed.

"Sorry to spoil the lunch." She said.

Toby shook his head.

"Not your fault, Mom." He took one of her hands. "It's alright."

Eleanor smiled.

"I'm so tired."

"_This_ is _your_ fault."

Eleanor and Toby turned to see the barber enter the bedroom with a glass of water in hand. He sat on the bed and handed her the glass of water.

"So, it's my fault now?" She asked.

"You should not work _hard_. I _told_ you not to do it." Eleanor drank the water slowly and sighed deeply. "Why didn't you listen to me?"

Eleanor raised an eyebrow.

"Well, _dear_, someone has to take care of the house, prepare the food, wash the dishes, do the laundry, you know, things like that... "

"It's ironic. You yell at me to buy the _damn_ lamb and then, you can not even look at it."

She rolled her eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier today. I was nervous."

He shook his head.

"I not arguing with you, my dear." He put a strand of hair behind her ear, making her blush. "I just don't want to see you sweeping the floor, or standing up for long." He spoke with a deep voice. And when she opened her mouth to say something, he cut her off: "It's an order."

Seeing the look he was giving her, she sighed heavily, but could not prevent a small smile on her lips. If her husband was another man - not Albert, he was cruel with her, I'm talking about any other man - Eleanor would probably be very mad at him. But her husband was Sweeney Todd - and she gave thanks to God for it -, then she just loved everything he gave her, she loved being the focus of his attention and concern, it made her feel very special. It was almost the same as being loved by him, even though she didn't have the slightest idea of how it feels like being loved by a man. Of course that sometimes - I said 'sometimes' - she got mad that he did not want her to do anything, but, in the end, she loved what she was living.

"Okay." She sighed.

"Good." He stood up. "I'm going to talk to a doctor."

"But Father Harris said he would-..."

"He's taking forever to do it. Now we do things my way." Sweeney looked at his son. "Stay with your mother and don't let her leave this bed." He looked at his wife. "I'll be right back."

The barber took five minutes to get to church. Catching sight of the priest, he felt that bad feeling and he did not like it one bit. He hated feeling so vulnerable or afraid. He was not Benjamin Barker, after all.

"Mr. Todd! It's good to see you!" Father Harris said, approaching him. "What a coincidence, I must say. I was just about to go to talk with Dr. Davies about you and your wife!"

But Sweeney ignored this.

"_Where_ can _I_ find Dr. Davies?"

The priest's eyes widened and he felt a bit cornered. Swallowing hard, he replied:

"Well, he lives near the lighthouse, Mr. Todd. His office is located on North Street, a white house with blue windows."

The barber said nothing and left. When he reached the office, he saw a tall man with black hair and glasses.

"Are you Dr. Davies?"

"Yes, it's me. And you are...?"

"Sweeney Todd." They shook hands.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Mr. Todd. I heard a lot about your barbershop, the best in town." He smiled. "But how can I help you?"

"My wife's pregnant. She felt sick, threw up, and is paler than she should."

The smile on the doctor's face disappeared and he nodded. Both quickly returned to see the baker, who on her bed, eyes closed. But she was as tired as before. Seeing the doctor, she smiled at her husband, who was looking at her with a serious expression.

"Hello, Mrs. Todd."

"You must be Dr. Davies." Eleanor blushed, however, when the doctor kissed her hand gently. She wasn't excepting that. She then looked Sweeney - who was leaning against the wall, watching the scene intently and with such a great hate in his eyes - and then she suppressed a laugh. He was jealous of the doctor.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Todd. May I sit down?" She nodded and the doctor pulled a chair to sit next to the bed. "Your husband told me you felt sick. What happened?".

"I made roast lamb for lunch, I was in the mood to eat, but when I smelled it, I felt sick and threw up." She sighed. "It's very odd."

When the doctor chuckled, the baker looked at him with a confusion expression.

"Oh, no, don't think I'm making fun of your face, please, is not that. You do remind me of my wife when she was pregnant with our daughter. She wanted to eat watermelon, but when I brought to her, she felt sick. It's always the same." Dr. Davies said with a smile. "But tell me: it is the first time it happens to you?"

"No." It was the barber who responded, apparently wanting to be part of the situation. "It already happened before."

Dr. Davies then took the baker's wrist and looked at his watch-pocket. After a few minutes in silence, he said:

"Your blood pressure is a little low, perhaps due to lack of food... Did you try to eat anything else after what happened?"

She shook her head.

"I only had water."

He nodded and began to check her eyes, touching her face, and soon Eleanor felt herself blushing. Only her husband had touched her face, and even Dr. Davies being a doctor, she did not feel very comfortable with it. After a moment, he pulled back and asked:

"Can I touch your belly, Mrs. Todd?"

The baker looked at her husband, seeing how uncomfortable he was. With a sigh, she looked at the doctor and nodded slightly.

"Okay..." He put both hands on her belly and frowned again. "How many months?"

"Six and a half."

Seeing Dr. Davies frowning slightly, Eleanor felt her heart beat faster.

"Is there a problem, Dr. Davies?"

"Uh, not exactly a problem, Mrs. Todd. A surprise, I must say..." He smiled a bit. "Sorry for asking, but are you sure you're six months pregnant?"

Eleanor nodded.

"Yes."

His hands left her swollen belly and adjusted his glasses.

"Do you think there is something wrong with the baby?" The barber asked suddenly, startling the people there. Dr. Davies' eyebrows rose slightly upon hearing such a serious voice.

"Don't need to worry, Mr. Todd. There is nothing wrong with the _babies_ or with your wife. They are healthy. Just need to rest."

There was a moment of silence, somewhat uncomfortable. Dr. Davies did not know if he should say something.

"_Babies?_" The barber, the baker and the boy asked at the same time.

Dr. Davies nodded and cleaned his throat.

"Yes, yes. I believe you're having twins. That's explains why your belly - if you allow me to say, Mrs. Todd - is so swollen. With just six and a half months your belly should not be so swollen." He explained. "When I touched your belly, I felt kicks from different sides, two babies instead of one. And the fact of you're having a strong nausea can also be a clear indication of a twin pregnancy. Congratulations."

The baker's eyes widened and she completely lost her voice. She looked at her husband, seeing he was as surprised as her, and then she looked at her son, who was smiling. She then blinked a few times, but then nodded, soon feeling the tears falling down her pale face. Having a child has always been her biggest dream, but having two at once would be like heaven.

"Is there any way to know if they are boys or girls, doctor?" Toby asked suddenly, making Dr. Davies shook his head.

"The most common is two children of the same sex, but they can be a boy and a girl too." He said.

"It's doesn't matter." The baker felt more tears fall down her face and then she touched her belly with both hands, grinning. "I love them." She looked at the doctor. "Thank you, Dr. Davies."

The doctor smiled at her, kissed her hand and stood up.

"You're welcome, Mrs. Todd." He looked at the boy who was present. "Now, young man, help you mom with everything and make her rest."

"Yes, sir." Toby smiled.

The wooden clock in the living room hit one o'clock, making the doctor frown and removed his watch-pocket from his coat.

"It's time to go." He put his watch-pocket on his coat again and looked at the pregnant woman lying in bed. "My advice is that you should rest and try to eat something. Maybe that roast lamb in the kitchen, which, I suppose, you must be dying to eat now."

The baker blushed slightly and touched her belly.

"Yes, I'm hungry now."

Dr. Davies chuckled and looked at the barber there.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Todd."

They shook hands and the barber gave some money to the doctor. And though the barber was too pale, Dr Davies knew he should not worry about him. After all, what man would not be surprised to find out that he was not going to be the father of one baby, but two of them?

Eleanor, however, was concerned by her husband.

"Toby, follow Dr. Davies to the door, please." Eleanor said, without taking her eyes from her husband.

"Have a nice day, Mrs. Todd." Dr. Davies said. "If anything happens, just tell me, please."

When the doctor disappeared, the baker felt her heart beat faster on her chest. Sweeney, just like her, must be surprised by the news of having two babies instead of one. He was standing by the window, watching the sea outside. She could not see his expression, but she knew it was serious.

"Sweeney, I-...".

"Later." He said suddenly, in a deep voice. And the baker could not tell if he was angry or not.

_Oh, God, make him accept more than one child with me, please._ She thought.

He went to the living room, opened a cupboard and took a bottle of gin from inside, along with a glass. He opened the bottle of gin with some difficulty - he was shaking - and then filled the glass. In one gulp, the gin went down his throat. Sighing, he put more gin on the glass and drank it, leaving the glass half empty. Seeing his wife go to the kitchen - barefoot - he raised an eyebrow. But preferred say nothing. He just pulled out a chair and sat by the window, watching the snow fall outside.

"Mom, the doctor told you to rest!" Toby sat on a kitchen chair as he watched his mom take a kitchen knife and began to cut the roast lamb that was on the table.

"He also told me to eat." She cut a small piece of lamb and ate it, sighing happily afterwards. It was great. "Hungry, dear?"

The boy nodded and handed her his plate so she could serve him. An hour later, mom and son were happy and had eaten half of that strawberry pie that the baker made. To be honest, the baker had eaten more than the boy.

"By your silly grin, you must have really liked the food, right?" Eleanor asked with a smirk.

Toby nodded with a grin, his mouth was dirty with red.

"Great. Let's brush our teeth. After this you can go out and play with your friends."

"But what about you, Mom?"

She sighed.

"I need to talk with your father. Let's go."

When the two returned to the living room - after much laughter in the bathroom -, they didn't fail to notice the barber, sitting in a chair by the window, a glass of gin in hand, and a serious expression on his face. The barber sighed heavily. Toby looked at his mom, puzzled, but she smiled and kissed him on the forehead, saying that he could go play. He then gave her a kiss on the cheek, and ran out of the house.

The baker felt a kick and chuckled, touching her belly. Her husband's attention was on her now, he was looking at her belly. Then he sighed deeply and took another sip of gin.

Two babies... Sweeney sighed again. Two babies! He would have to buy more cloth diapers, Eleanor would have more milk, the cries at night would be two, the laughter would be two, two smiles, two, two, and two...! _Two babies?_ He thought. Sweeney was already feeling cornered to know that he would take care of one baby, but now that he knew he would have two, how should he feel?!

"Dear?"

He looked at his wife again, seeing that she had an apprehensive look in her eyes. In one breath, he put the glass of gin on top of a table there and reached for his wife to approach him. She sat on his lap and buried her hands in his hair, hearing a sigh coming out from his mouth. But what made her heart beat faster was when she felt one of his cold hands rest on her belly. And interestingly, one of the babies responded to his touch.

"They _definitely_ know their father is here." She said, resting one of her hands in his.

Their eyes met and without a moment of hesitation, he took her chin and brought her lips to his. He could taste mint. She moaned as his tongue explored her mouth and she did not take long to kiss him with the same intensity. Her hand found his face, stroking his cheek lightly, while the other rested on his strong shoulder, squeezing the fabric of his blue vest. She could taste the gin very clearly. He drank only when needed to think or when something was troubling him.

She only hoped that two babies were not a problem to him.

"Do you want to talk now…?" She asked shortly after they broke apart, both a little breathless.

"Two babies, Eleanor." He whispered.

"Two babies." She bit her lip. "Are you happy?"

"I am. Very Much, no doubt of that." He kissed her lightly on the lips. "I just need to think. I wasn't expecting... Two babies."

She could not help but laugh. He needed time to assimilate and accept all this. Giving him another kiss, she said:

"Thank you very much."

He just chuckled.

* * *

_A/N: So, I hope you enjoyed. See you later. _


	11. Chapter 11

_I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter. I had several ideas and rewrote hundreds of times. _

_But I really hope it was worth it. _

_And I hope you enjoy._

* * *

Having two babies at once was something extremely unexpected. He was still getting used to the idea of being a father when he heard the news. He was happy to have received this new chance to have a family, but having two babies... Heavens, it was something he had never dreamed of. Such a blessing he knew he did not deserve; he suffered a lot, but did horrible things. He did not deserve a home so full of warmth and affection.

And to a person who does not have much experience with children, or who, by misfortune, did not have the chance to have some sort of contact with a child in his life, he could tell he was very confused and worried.

Of the few memories he had, the moment he held his little Johanna for the first time would never leave his mind. She was restless and crying a bit, making the young Benjamin Barker feel very nervous. But Benjamin, although insecure, knew he should hold his little girl, a little girl who, at the time she opened her big blue eyes and looked at her father, made him realize that he would love her more than anything in the world and protect her from everything.

It's sad to say that he could not protect his little girl from the evils of life, in other words, the judge. He could not protect his wife, not even himself. Lucy was dead and he spent fifteen years in Australia. And, despite all that has already been partially overcome, his mind and his heart still had their doubts. If he failed to protect his old family (Lucy and Johanna) what about his new one (Eleanor, Toby and his two little unborn babies)...?

We know he was not a fool, he is alert, observant and insightful, he knows what he does. But sometimes, not always, but sometimes, he felt that everything he did was not enough to keep his new family safe.

However, when all this insecurity began to overwhelm him, he sought to feel his children moving inside his wife's belly. Eleanor probably had realized his feelings but said nothing, giving him a space to open up with her when he wanted to. He was grateful for that because even though she wanted him to talk to her, she wasn't forcing him to, which made him much calmer.

Speaking of her, well, Eleanor Todd was very happy. She was very sure about her pregnancy, she was always smiling, joking, even singing about how the babies would be, if they would took after her or their father, what she would teach them...

Sweeney, however, was unsure of his role in all this. Eleanor would feed the babies, play with them and teach them many things about life.

What would he do?

The only thing he knew was how to shave a face (and how to cut a throat). With Toby things were improving, the boy was speaking more to him and calling him "dad", but Sweeney doubted the boy would want to be a barber. About the twins, well, if one of them were a boy or if both were boys, he would like to teach them about his razors, but if none of them want to be a barber, Sweeney did not really know if he would know what to teach them. It would be "worse" if one of the twins was a girl - or both were girls - because, well, he was a man, he did not know anything about dresses or dolls. It was frustrating not knowing how to behave with his own children, but he knew he should make an effort, because, after all, he loved them very much and wanted them to feel the same for him.

But it was funny to see him so worried about his relationship with two babies whom still were inside their mommy's belly.

And, you know, there are times when he could not believe in what he was living. If a year ago someone had told him that at some time in his life he would be there - living by the sea with a new family - he would tell that person to go to a doctor because he was completely out of mind. Or else, he would kill that person for daring indicate that there might be another woman in his life that was not Lucy.

Today, however, he just could not see himself in another situation. Things were so simple, but at the same time so important. The smiles he gave for little silly things in simple days, or the fact that he just could not get mad at things that - a year ago - would made him want to cut someone's throat.

At that thought he used to wonder why the hell he took so long to move on after his wife's death, why he had been such a coward, why he had been so blind to see what was in front of him, so much opportunities, and, above all, a life of happiness and peace, something that his heart begged but his mind blocked.

He remembered the times when, looking out the window of his old barbershop in London, he watched the people walking down the street. He remembered the smiles on their pale faces and for a few moments, he really wanted to be one of those people, just to feel human again, just to make sure he was still alive. But the memory of his lost family was still there, in his heart, so he felt guilty for wanting to live, to feel a little of warmth without his Lucy and little Johanna. And, even after the judge's death, the barber didn't like to think about "starting a new life". Even his heart begging for a bit of joy, his mind refused to believe that he could be happy again.

Eleanor had felt something similar at that time. There were many times he had seen her sitting by the window of her living room in London, a heartbroken expression on her face. At the time he could not care for her as he did now, but he knew the reason for her sadness.

Solitude.

She also wanted to feel some warmth, but life had not given her many opportunities. Knowing this, Sweeney would do anything to make her feel happy, always, to make her smile and don't feel lonely.

And he was doing well, you know. He had given them a chance and the baker did not only love all she was living as he found himself really enjoying her company.

Everything was going well...

Or that's what he thought.

I say this because, on that Monday morning, the barber found out that the baker was sad about something he had failed to do, something he had not bothered to remember, not bothered to know.

It began when he entered the kitchen and saw his wife sitting at the table to breakfast. When he sat down next to her, he noticed something different on her features.

Then he heard her sigh sadly and kept staring at her plate while playing with the spoon. She was not eating, though, just staring at her oatmeal, which, by the way, never seemed so uninteresting.

His first thought was to talk to her, but the right words didn't come. Then he took her free hand with his and began to stroke her skin with his thumb, trying to get her attention. It didn't work and Eleanor kept staring at her own plate.

"You should eat." He finally said, soon later asking himself if he had nothing better to say.

The baker let out a sigh.

"I know, but… I'm not hungry."

Her tone of voice made him frown.

"It's everything alright?" He asked, this time his voice was as dark as always.

She shook her head.

"I better go wake up Toby before he is late for school."

The barber followed her with his gaze until she had disappeared through the kitchen door. Still frowning, he turned his gaze to the table and wondered what the hell was going on. Well, whatever it was, he didn't like it one bit. He hated to see his wife so sad.

Toby showed up a few minutes later, already full dressed with his school uniform. It had been a week since he had begun to go to school and, by the way things went, he seemed very happy to _learn so many things_, as he had said. However, he hated waking up early. Sure that in London he always woke up at eight in the morning to help his mom in the pie shop, but that does not mean he liked. He loved to help his mom, but hated waking up early.

That could be notice by the way he seemed to have fallen asleep right there on the kitchen table, his head rested on his hand. Sweeney heard a sigh, and turned to see his wife standing next to the kitchen door. She approached her son and ran her fingers through his brown hair, making him murmur something on his "sleep".

The rest of breakfast was as monotonous and silent as a turtle. Sweeney could feel that something new and extremely uncomfortable happened with Eleanor. Her head was low and she was staring at her oatmeal again. It was almost the same expression she had when the people in London began to say bad things about her.

About an hour later, Toby had left with his new friends and Eleanor could still be found in the kitchen, eating something. Apparently her monstrous appetite had returned and she was a bit oblivious of everything, as always happens when she ate.

Sweeney then let out a long sigh and decided to approach her, touching her shoulders. She jumped to feel so cold hands on her skin and turned to look at the man behind her.

When their eyes met, a lot of feelings could be noticed. His eyes were confused and worried. Hers were full of love, affection and a bit of distress. He saw her eyes roam his face quickly, curious and insecure. Then he saw her smile a bit, resting her warm hands on his shoulders and giving him a peck on the right cheek.

"Have a nice day, dear."

Then she left.

Shaking his head, the barber sighed. Pregnant women are very confusing creatures… He should have known better.

During his day at work - which was quite busy for a Monday - the barber could not stop thinking about his wife's odd behavior. He knew that mood swings were something very common for women, especially when they are pregnant, and maybe he should not worry so much, but Eleanor was so quiet and sad that he could not help feeling this way.

When the clock struck five o'clock, he started cleaning the floor, sweeping all the hair and throwing everything in the trash on a corner. After this, he sat down on his barber chair and began to clean up one of his favorite razors, which had worked very hard that day, not cutting throats - thanks God -, just shaving faces.

But despite his razors were resting after a hard day's work, the barber's mind did not follow this path. His mind was still tormenting him about what happened on that morning, saying that he should do something to make his wife smile again.

But what?

The door being opened brutally caught his attention. He turned and saw a young man with a panicked expression on his face.

"Please, my good man, I need the best and most complete shave of my life." He said quickly. "I know it's a bit late for that, but I'll pay anything you want!"

That situation reminded him of when the judge came to his barbershop to improve his appearance to impress a pretty woman, a flower bud...

Sweeney felt a lump in his throat at the thought of that damn judge trying to win his daughter.

"Sit down, please."

When the young man was already sitting in the barber chair Sweeney began his work. The young man's beard was a bit dirty and sloppy, making a bit hard the razor's work. But being the best barber in London and - he could tell - the best barber in Brighton, Sweeney did not take ten minutes to finish his work, including shaving and aftershave.

"It's done." He muttered.

The young man then stood up and looked at himself in the mirror, touching his face to see if the work had been well done. With a huge smile, he turned to the barber and gave him the money.

"My wife will be very happy to see that I got rid of the beard she hates so much. I hope she loves the gift I bought her too." He said. "I owe you my life, Mr. Todd. Thank you."

The young man then left the barbershop quickly.

Two seconds later, someone else knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?"

Seeing the barber nodding, Toby came in and closed the door behind him. Sweeney took his pocket watch and saw "half past five".

"How can I help you…?" The barber's voice was very serious and slightly distracted.

Toby took a few seconds to respond:

"I just got back from the market and..." He sounded nervous. "Uh... I... I want to know your opinion about my gift."

Sweeney looked down at his son's hands. He raised an eyebrow at what he saw: a bouquet of flowers. He then noticed that Toby was not even looking at him, his gaze was on the floor and Sweeney could see his little hands shaking slightly. For a moment, Sweeney felt sorry for the boy, knowing that he still did not feel very safe around him. Then he felt guilty because he knew he should try to talk more with his son.

"They are beautiful…" He said after a moment.

Toby sighed in relief.

"Do you think Mom will appreciate it?"

His shinning eyes and good intentions would make even the most cruel human being smile. Toby was always very affectionate towards his mom, after all, she was the first person who treated him with kindness and despite the bad things she did - human meat pies - the boy loved her more than anything in the world, he cared about her and her welfare. He cared about his two little brothers, too. He wanted them to be safe.

"Yes, she will."

The boy was now brave enough to look at his adoptive father and smile.

"Okay. Thanks for the help." He said. "What did you get her? Can you show me?"

The barber was silent for a moment. Toby had also noticed his mum's sadness, so the lad thought of buying a gift to make her happy. What a bright idea. Women love gifts. There's nothing better than this to make a woman smile again.

"I don't think-..."

"Oh, it's okay if you don't want to show me." The boy said quickly. "It must be something just for married couples, I guess."

The barber cleaned his throat.

"It is." _It will be_, he thought.

The boy smiled at him.

"Did you have problems when you bought her gift? I mean, I know it's not easy to get a good gift in Valentine's Day, but I never thought I would take almost an hour just to buy flowers." The boy looked down at the flowers in his hands. "But I hope it's enough to her. I mean, I know today is also her birthday and that I should have bought two gifts, but since I thought you had got one too, I only bought her flowers… I hope you don't mind at all."

Still recovering from the shock of hearing so many important things in just one sentence, the barber nodded his head slightly and muttered almost automatically:

"I don't."

"Okay then." The boy smiled at him. "I believe dinner it's at nine, as always. See you later, dad."

Seeing him leave, the barber blinked a few times, trying to understand what had just happened. Frowning, Sweeney sat down on his barber chair and began to think.

The truth was that he never cared about any commemorative dates, Benjamin did so, and Sweeney Todd was not Benjamin Barker. But this obviously did not free him from guilt.

_"February 14! Valentine's Day, but also your wife's birthday!"_ A voice shouted in his mind.

Christmas Eve came to his mind, an extremely enjoyable night. I bet you also remember the occasion - if you don't, just go back a few chapters - when the barber, the baker and the boy had dinner together and exchanged gifts. Sweeney remembered his wife's expression when she saw what he had bought her, the most beautiful nightdress.

But buying clothes were out of question. He had already bought her new dresses for pregnant woman. Flowers also could not be an option, since Toby had already bought it. Eleanor used to eat chocolates when she could not sleep at night, but Toby - once again - had got her a box of chocolates at Christmas.

_"Maybe a special dinner..."_ A voice spoke in his head.

His heart beat faster at that moment, but then he remembered something crucial: his wife was seven months pregnant. They would walk for ten minutes to get to a restaurant and Eleanor could not walk that much with that belly. It would not be good for her and the two babies inside her belly.

Sweeney sighed.

_"She loves to sing..."_ The voice spoke again.

That's true. Together they sang about human meat pies, death and the judge. Interestingly, he barely remembered those days, as if his mind was trying to avoid it. However, one of his wife's songs never left his head, a song about waiting for the judge. Her voice was soft, cautious, and it seemed to calm him a bit. He ended up waiting more than he wanted, but it was worth it.

But what would he do with that information? A serenade under the moonlight...?

No, it would not work. He was not that kind of man.

"Damn it!" He cursed.

As he stared at the golden ring on his finger, he remembered of his first night with the baker, the night he had drunk too much, the night they created two little lives.

An idea crossed his mind and he jumped up, getting out of his barbershop, slamming the door. He went downstairs to the living room, but he did not find his wife as he used to. She was at their bedroom, folding some of his white shirts. The door was half opened, so he could see her there, sitting on the bed, a distracted expression on slightly flushed her face.

After finishing her easy work, she let out a long sigh and stood up, aiming to put the shirts inside the wardrobe. But suddenly her eyes widened and she sat back down on the bed, some of his shirts even fell to the ground.

His heart beat faster at that moment, but he stopped himself to do something when he saw his wife laughing.

"Calm down..." She smiled. "You two don't need to kick so much..."

Feeling two other kicks, she sighed and started stroking her swollen belly

"I can't wait for you two to get out, you know. To see your little faces..." She sighed. "I hope you two have your father's hair, because if you have my hair, you will have problems."

He had never seen any problem with her red hair. Sure, it was wild and pretty hard to comb but this wildness fit her very well. However, he had to admit that he preferred her hair as it was at that moment: fallen over her shoulders.

"Daddy's also… Excited to know his little babies… He may seem a bit daunting, but you do not need to be afraid. Daddy loves you very much." Eleanor whispered. "He's a barber, the best I've seen. And he's beautiful…"

She bit her lower lip.

"He suffered a lot in the past, but mommy's trying to push all this pain away. One day I'll tell you what happened to him and to his other family." She frowned for a moment. "Yes, he had another family. They are not here, though. His other wife, Lucy Barker, is in heaven now; I believe she's an angel. But your big sister is still alive, probably married with a sailor. Unfortunately I don't where she is…"

She let out a sigh.

"Daddy married mommy because… Mommy got pregnant. It's not right to have babies before get married but that's how the things happened." She smiled a bit. "But daddy is very kind to me, he's a gentleman and… Mommy loves daddy very much."

He wondered how he could make this marriage work this way... Eleanor Todd was a practical woman but she was emotional, too. She was sad that her husband had not been interested about knowing her better; he had not bothered to know about her date of birth, or to do something special to Valentine's Day.

It was his idea to make this marriage to work, to give them a chance. His wife was probably thinking that he didn't care about her, that he didn't have feelings for her. But he had feelings for her. Such strong and frightful feelings, making him not brave enough to say those three special little words we all know.

Sighing, he turned to walk down the hall to the living room. It was snowing now, the streets were covered with a white and cold carpet. He then lit the fire and the whole house was warmer now.

Looking out the window, he could see people running to their homes.

Half an hour later, he heard footsteps behind him and a voice saying:

"Hello, dear."

He turned and looked at her. She wore a red and black dress and low-heeled boots. Her red hair was tied in a loose bun. Her expression was... Different from what he was used to see.

"Are you alright?"

Great. He had not even bothered to know her date of birth - or Valentine's Day - and she still cared for him.

"No."

His expression was not good and she didn't like one bit. He was a sad, disillusioned and full of guilt.

But since when Sweeney Todd felt guilty for something?

Soon she approached him. He did not move and just waited for her to touch his face, as she always did when she was worried about him. Her hands were warm and soft in contrast to his cold and rough skin. At her touch, he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" She asked.

She saw him frown, probably thinking about something. Then, his eyes stared at hers intensely, so intensely that made her blush; she did not understand why he was doing this. Soon she saw how close his face was from hers, his hot breath on her face and while his right hand cupped her face, his other one rested on her belly, which seemed more swollen every day.

Her eyes widened when he gave her the most passionate kiss of her life.

At first, she didn't move. She didn't know if she should enjoy the kiss or worry for her husband's odd behaviour.

However, soon she felt her bottom lip being bitten by his teeth, and then she closed her eyes again and found herself kissing him back. His tongue seemed anxious inside her mouth, licking her lips and, at one time or another she could feel him sucking her bottom lip. Being honest with herself, she does not know if she could keep this pace. But she would do what she could. She then put one of her hands behind his neck, pulling him closer to her.

His breathing became more ragged and his arm was now tight around her waist. His lips down her jaw to stop at a sensitive spot on her neck. When she moaned, he growled and murmured:

"Shut up."

She bit her lower lip and buried her fingers in his hair. Wanting to taste him too, Eleanor took his face and brought his lips to hers They stayed like this for a few minutes and when she pulled away to breath, the baker could not help but smile, despite seeming a bit surprised to such a passionate kiss.

"Why did you-...?"

"Mom! Mom! Oh..." Toby stood in the middle of the room to see his adoptive parents so close to each other. Blushing slightly, he looked down and apologized.

"It's alright, dear." Eleanor pulled away from her husband and approached her son, running her fingers through his hair. "Did you buy what I told you?"

Toby smiled and handed her the bag in his hands. Eleanor smiled, kissing the top of Toby's head.

"Now we can prepare dinner." She said.

"And what will we eat, Mom?"

"I think beef stew it will be nice..." She looked at her husband for a moment, knowing that this was his favorite plate. Smiling slightly, she turned her gaze to her son. "And for dessert, how about Cherry Bakewell?"

The boy's little eyes lit up. It was his favorite dessert!

"Really, Mom?"

Eleanor nodded.

"Yes, dear. It's my Valentine's Day gift for the two most important men in my life."

The boy grinned.

"Thank you very much."

"You're welcome." She handed him the bag. "Can you put the ingredients on the table for me, please?"

He nodded and ran into the kitchen. Eleanor sighed and touched her swollen belly, biting her lip. Then she approached her husband - who did not understand her actions - and whispered in his ear:

"_I know my body it's not the same, but if you still want me, I'll be glad to be all yours tonight."_

He raised an eyebrow at her, who smiled at him, kissing his lips afterwards. Soon, she had disappeared through the living room door.

If he still wanted her?

He decided to take a bath, to put his thoughts in place. Or, at least, to try to. Usually the hot water made him feel better; it was nothing compared to the nights he spent with his wife, or her warmth, but since her belly was too big, he was a bit worried to lose control and hurt her, he thought a bath would be more appropriate.

Entering the bathtub, the baker's words came to his mind, she would be _all his_ that night. At this thought he smiled and finished his bath quickly, putting on some comfortable clothes, dark pants and shoes with a white shirt, no tie or vest this time.

Trying to organize his dark suit along with the other ones on his wardrobe, he heard something fall to the ground. He looked down and saw a red velvet box.

Frowning, he crouched down and examined the object, seeing that something was stored inside. Opening the box, he was startled: probably the most expensive necklace he had ever seen; made of gold with small diamonds.

Sweeney knew he had not bought it - he would not have enough money to do it - then he wondered who was responsible for it.

_"Mom said that-..."_

Toby was white with fear at his father's evil expression. It was the same expression he had back in London, the worst time of his memories, when he had to drink gin to get some non-peaceful sleep. Swallowing hard, he looked at the object in the barber's hands and thought for a moment.

"So you bought a gift?" Toby asked carefully.

Sweeney stood up and took the necklace from the red velvet box, staring at it carefully. The boy's eyes widened when he saw such a beautiful gift. He looked at his father again and offered him a sympathetic look.

"It's a nice necklace, dad. Mom will love it."

The fact that the barber did not even look at him made the boy think he did not want to answer. Or perhaps he was thinking of a good answer.

_"Are you two coming to eat?"_

His mom's voice made the boy jump and barber hide his hand behind his back, away from the baker's eyes. Eleanor was standing at the bedroom's door, staring at the two of them suspiciously.

"So...?"

Toby swallowed hard.

"Yes, Mom."

Eleanor turned to look at her husband, who seemed bothered by something, and then she said:

"Eat now or the food will get cold."

When she had returned to the kitchen, Toby turned to the barber and whispered again:

"Nice job, dad."

The barber just raised an eyebrow.

_"Toby, can you put the dishes on the table, please?"_ They suddenly heard her asking.

"Coming, Mom!"

Sweeney saw his son leaving the bedroom and took a while to follow him. So she had already won a necklace? How could that be possible?! Men in town knew that she was a married woman - she was pregnant, for God's sake - and even if she were not, no one knew her enough to gift her with a necklace.

_"Isn't obvious that George Khan is the responsible for this...?"_ The voice in his mind asked.

Furious, he counted to ten to prevent screaming - it was a trick that his wife had taught him and worked it very well - and, after ten seconds, he sighed deeply, clenching his fists tightly, almost drawing blood from his hands.

Frowning, he closed the red velvet box and put it back inside the wardrobe. Then he walked to the kitchen, his mind working and working without rest. If he saw his wife now, he would yell at her, not to offend or scare her, only yell, to take his anger on something, just as he had done in London once - when George touched his wife's arm - and he threw a chair against his barbershop's wall.

But, as if his mind was expecting him to - even though he hated to admit it -, at the moment he entered the kitchen, his gaze crossed his wife's and his anger faded in time. And Eleanor, oblivious to his anger, smiled. She walked up to him and pulled him by the hand, sitting him on a chair, showing him what she had done for dinner.

It was something he hated about her because she only needed to look at him with those two big brown eyes she had to make all bad thoughts in his mind disappear.

He then looked at her, feeling her warm lips on his cheek. She had returned to be cheerful woman he loved.

He watched her for a moment. Eleanor knew that he hated Mr. George Khan with all his being. Probably she had thought of his reaction to see a so expensive necklace that was not bought by him, so she had hide it inside the wardrobe, away from his suspicious eyes.

Sweeney looked at the boy, who seemed too busy with his beef to want to think about something else.

"How was your day, dear?"

Realizing that she was talking to him, Sweeney frowned slightly and looked at his empty plate.

"Good." He muttered, and then looked at her, who was still smiling at him.

"_She's happy that at least someone had remembered of her birthday." _A voice said in his mind. _"Or cared to remember something like Valentine's Day."_

He grunted and then sighed, knowing that get mad would have no use.

On the table there was also a water pitcher and three small glasses. He felt his heart race when he saw his wife put a vase with daisies and Gillyflowers on the table.

His black eyes met his wife, who was now sitting at the table and eating. He smiled a bit, watching her for a moment and concluded that she did not seem to be 41 years old. Maybe it was her personality, cheerful, she was always smiling. It could be her pregnancy, too, making her even more radiant.

With a sigh, he took his fork and knife and began to eat.

It was his favourite plate after all.

"It's everything alright at school?" Eleanor asked after ten minutes of silence. She began Toby's hair, much to his delight, and, after a moment, he nodded. "Have you finished your homework?"

Toby looked at his father for a moment and then returned his gaze his mom.

"Not yet."

Eleanor sighed.

"I know you're excited with your new friends, but your responsibilities come first. First the homework and then you can play with your friends." He nodded. "Now, if you've finished eating, you can go to your room and finish your homework."

"Can you help me if I need to?"

She smiled.

"Sure, dear."

The boy kissed her on the cheek and walked quickly out of the kitchen. When he looked at his wife, Sweeney noticed the thoughtful look she carried.

"I'm happy he's enjoying school..." She muttered, returning to eat. "It will be very good for him, you know... Study and have a career."

Sweeney thought about her words for a moment and then he muttered:

"Maybe he can be a baker."

She looked at him in surprise, but then she smiled and asked:

"Do you think so...?"

The barber lowered his gaze, not really wanting to look into her eyes.

"He likes to cook."

Soon he heard her chuckling.

"It will mean a lot to me." She said.

Both finished eating and after washing the dishes, the baker found her son in his bedroom. On his bed were some opened books, the boy was writing something in his exercise book, and he seemed very concentrate, despite yawning one time or another.

"Want some help?" She knocked on the door before entering.

The boy looked up.

"No, thank you, mom."

Eleanor sat with him on the bed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"What's it about?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, it's for history class. Mr. Hopkins wants us to write more about the Hundred Years War." The boy thought for a while to continue and Eleanor found his expression something extremely adorable. "When King Charles IV of France died without a direct heir, Edward of England declared that he was the rightful king of France. He was King Charles' nephew. But French nobles chose Philip of Valois-..."

"Or Philip VI." Eleanor finished for him.

Toby smiled and added that information to his exercise book.

"Have you ever thought about a career, dear?"

The boy looked up from his notebook and answered:

"Not exactly, mom. My friends say they will follow their father's career, but I have a friend, Matthew, who says he does not want to be a doctor like his father. He wants to be a judge."

The baker gulped at this.

"And... Have you ever thought about being a barber?"

Toby shrugged.

"His razors are cool." He whispered. "But honestly, I don't think I can be like him..."

"Oh, Toby, don't say that. I know that if he teaches you, you'll become a great barber."

The boy shook his head.

"No, Mom, it's not that..." He blushed slightly. "It's just, well... I think I'd rather bake pies, you know..."

To the boys' happiness, his mom smiled at him.

"You want to be a baker then..." Toby only nodded. Eleanor smiled even more and took his chin, making him look at her. "I'll be very happy to teach you all I know."

The smile he gave her made her want to cry.

"_If he does not put people into pies, he'll be fine." _She thought.

"Dad will not get mad at me, right?"

"Of course not, dear. When choosing a career, the choice is yours and nobody else's. Course there is men who fell for their fathers' choices and want to follow their steps, but if you want to be a baker like me, I do not see why your father would be upset."

The boy nodded.

"Can we start tomorrow?"

The baker smiled proudly at her eldest son.

"Anything you say."

He kisses her on the cheek and then turned his gaze back to his exercise book.

An hour later, Eleanor could see that her little boy was sleeping beside her, his bed was all messed up, but he did not seem to care. She then took off his shoes and put his books and papers on a writing desk. Covering him with a blanket, she kissed his forehead and whispered _goodnight._

Leaving the room carefully, she went to her room, only to find her husband sitting on their bed, staring at the red velvet box on his hands.

"It's a nice necklace." He muttered suddenly, trying not to show his anger, without much success.

Eleanor approached the bed and sat down next to her husband. She didn't say a word when the barber opened the red velvet box, showing its contents. He knew that George Khan was a rich man and also knew that he would not keep efforts to win the baker's heart. He also knew that was not going to happen. He had moved away from London just to keep his wife away from that man. And he would even go to another country, to the other side of the world if he could, just not to lose his family again.

But if George Khan keeps insisting, Sweeney Todd would have to kill him.

Just like that.

"I'll not accept."

He'd be lying if he said he was not happy to have heard her telling him that. Really, he was so happy he could barely hide his smile. And of course his wife noticed this and could not help but smile.

"You really hate him, don't you?" She asked a bit amused.

Sweeney stared at the necklace again, a feeling of anger ran through his body, the fact of another man being in love with his wife still tormenting his head and heart.

"He loves you."

Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"The two babies inside my belly are_ yours_, not his."

She saw a smirk appear on his lips, but it soon disappeared and after this, he did not move a muscle. He kept staring at the necklace, blinking when he needed to. Sighing, Eleanor took the red velvet box from his hands and close it, putting on a table next to the bed. Then she rested her hands on her husband's strong shoulders, taking a deep breath from his throat.

"Maybe you need a massage to relax, dear." She whispered on his ear.

And she was right, as always.

"I don't deserve you." He said, trying to hold back a grunt for such little fingers squeezing his skin.

His wife chuckled at his words.

"You do, my love." She whispered, kissing his cheek. "You do."

He shook his head.

"It's your birthday."

Eleanor stopped what she was doing, her hands never leaving her husband's shoulders. She took several seconds to say something.

"It is."

He looked down.

"I should have known..."

The baker sighed.

"It's alright, dear."

"No, it's not." He murmured, still staring at an empty space on the floor. "There are... Things I don't know about you... That I never cared to know and... I'm sorry for that."

Though she think his words were completely adorable, Eleanor did not know whether to laugh or feel sorry for the supposed guilt he must be feeling. Probably he deduced that she had been upset today because he had never bothered to know her date of birth. Eleanor, however, did not care too much about it, of course she had loved the flowers that Toby had bought her, but she knew her husband, so she knew he was not the type of man who would sing to her under the moonlight. Or who would remember her birthday or Valentine's Day.

"I want to buy you something."

There was a moment of silence. Then she smiled lovingly at him. However, having these two big brown eyes looking at him with such love made him feel something strange on his chest. And he did not like that very much.

"I don't want you spending your money on me."

He frowned and looked at her with a very clear irritation in his black eyes. He was not mad at her, but at her words.

"But I care about you."

Eleanor merely shook her head, and by his expression, she could tell that his mind was working up to something, trying to find a solution, or perhaps a reason to make her accept his mistake. It was almost if he was trying to make her get mad at him.

As if this was possible...

"You don't need to buy a gift to show me that, dear. You just need to stay with me, just like this, just like now." She said with a smile. "I love to spend my time with you, you know..."

Okay, now he was confused.

"But you sounded sad on this morning-..."

"Every pregnant woman has her mood swings, love. I'm 41 now, an old woman." She let out a long sigh and touched her swollen belly. "And when I looked at myself in the mirror... I didn't like what I saw... That's why I cried."

Hearing her sigh sadly, obviously not wanting to keep talking, it was as if a light illuminated his mind. And in her big brown eyes he saw it clearly, a large mixed of very uncomfortable feelings. He saw fear, anxiety and insecurity. It was known for him, since before the judge was dead, that Eleanor was not a woman with very high esteem. Perhaps it was something that happened in her childhood or during those fifteen years he had been out of England, something that obviously she did not want to tell him. However, he would not force her into anything, she would say at her time own time, when she felt comfortable to do so.

But of course he thought that her thoughts were a real waste of time, a lot of nonsense. She was not old, she was lively, cheerful, smiling and she was not fat, her weight was not because of some lack of care, but by the two little ones inside her belly and he, being very honest with himself, found it extremely adorable. He was very grateful that she gave him a new family, a home and the love that they both were denied for fifteen years.

"You're pregnant." He said suddenly. "Not fat."

She raised her eyebrows at him sternly, but she was not surprised by that actually.

"But my belly-..."

"You have my babies inside of you." He said quickly. "To me... This is beautiful."

He saw her blink a few times, looking intently at him before asking with a smile:

"Really?"

She saw his Adam's apple up and down, not a sign of discomfort, but of his arouse. She accepted this sign - _yes, you really look beautiful_ - and then took his face and slammed her lips against his. Her lips were so soft that made him melt. It was something amazing, what he was feeling was not just affection, it was such a great love, as well passion and lust, a feeling of protection...

"It's time to another Valentine's Day gift..."

Her whisper made him smile for days...

* * *

_I really don't know if my English is good enough to be understood, but I really hope you enjoyed my work. Let me know what you think, please, let me reviews and any help is welcome._

_See you soon._


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